Luigi's Dragons 2: Shards of Neglect
by Aeolian Mode
Summary: Sequel to Luigi's Dragons. Two years after the events of Luigi's Dragons 1, the Mario Brothers find themselves once again embroiled in a plot involving dragons and conquest- but this time, much more is at stake. Currently Discontinued
1. Echoes of the Past

LUIGI'S DRAGONS 2: SHARDS OF NEGLECT

A/N: For those of you who haven't read or at least attempted to read (and gave up after seeing the size) Luigi's Dragons 1, then this will make absolutely no sense to you.

And for those of you who have, guess what, its a sequel (and I made it painfully obvious that it was continuing). I just COULD'NT put down the story I was weaving, I had so many interesting ideas in the other one that I just didn't use enough due to how many chapters I planned to have.  
And no, this doesn't focus mainly on Luigi's kids though he MAY have one in this. But I don't know yet because I haven't planned this at all, I'm just going to see if I can make it anywhere as good as the first one.

Anyway, I am not very self-confident, ever, so... we'll just see how this turns out, alright? Enjoy the show.  
By the way, its kind of not flowing very well at the moment because I have all these ideas I can't possibly get them out in one chapter very smoothly.

- - -

PROLOGUE  
IRONCLAW AND MALICE

"I am the son of Growle. I will carry on my father's reign."

Malice paced in the hideaway, gritting his teeth with anger, recalling the events of the past. Two years ago, Aeolian sacrificed his star and destroyed the Moonshard's tool of power and control, the moon itself. Two years ago, his father was taken to be a servant by Kinimanji, the king of the Starbringers. Two years ago, Malice was defeated by a man named Luigi and his human friends.

It was more then a disgrace.

It destroyed him.

"Ironclaw," he mumbled, "I believe the time is coming to make our comeback..." He glanced over at Ironclaw. "Though the Moonshards no longer exist, it doesn't mean that we cannot create our own dominion here, on this planet... it moves to a different beat of magic then the Dragon Kingdom. The flow of time itself is determined in a different way- the flow of the moon and stars, the sun and clouds is different... and Ironclaw, I believe we can take advantage of that."

"What can we do, Malice? We have no more power... we've been staying in this dump for two years and still we have no power to do anything..."

Ironclaw had reason to his words, but Malice seemed to think otherwise. "Magic is something that cannot be easily controlled by anyone... it flows throughout the world. It becomes something entirely different, when wielded by someone. It reflects their character, their bodies... their choices."

"What are you saying?" Ironclaw seemed puzzled.

"Magic is a neutral thing as it circles the world. To be trained to pick up such things either comes by natural talent or training... and thus, it is kept a secret amongst both dragons and humans. When it is not a secret, then it is an unknown thing... and I believe it is about time we unlocked magic and introduced it to ourselves..."

"I have not heard of such things." Ironclaw glanced at Malice, rubbing his long claws on the stone wall. He was a orange-scaled, thin Dragon, standing taller then Malice, yet he seemed much less buff. "What do you mean, magic is neutral?"

"When it becomes wielded by a person it reflects the choices they have made... there is Light Magic, and Dark Magic... I know, and you know, that Dark Magic is more powerful. We can learn this course of Dark Magic, and destroy the Mario Brothers, who undoubtedly control Light Magic."

"How do you know all this?" Ironclaw demanded. "Such things are but a fantasy."

"Do you call THIS a fantasy!?" Malice thrust off his black chest armor and faced Ironclaw, showing him a spot of missing scales on his body. "This is what that cursed Luigi did to me! Remember what he did to us those years ago!? He wields the power of Lightning and Thunder- this is magic! This is LIGHT MAGIC. If we can master Dark Magic we may be able to stand a chance against him."

"That's magic?" He wondered. "You are confusing me. Did Growle know about this?"

"Very few people know about it, even fewer chose to believe it..."

"I still think that the Mario Brothers found those powers elsewhere... they couldn't be magic!"

"What else could it be?! He refuses to see it but I know that he is a magician- a wizard. He may not know it, but he has learned how to control thunder and lightning, a course of Light Magic. What we must learn to do, see, is control our own elements, and create our own dominion here. We must! If I am to fulfill my father's desires, I must create a dominion... but first we must further explore this thing called 'magic'..."

- - -

_L U I G I ' S D R A G O N S 2_

CHAPTER ONE: ECHOES OF THE PAST

"Daisy, don't leave me, please..." Tears flowed from the young man's eyes more then ever before. He was grasping a young woman's hands tightly in his own, pleading for her not to leave. Where she was going, she did not tell him. She only told him that she would never return.

"Luigi, it is my father's will for me to leave... I can't stay..." She looked at him pitifully, finding her own eyes full of tears. "Please, let me go... or come with me."

"I can't leave my duty here..." he sobbed, "My brother needs me... the world needs me... I can't go with you..."

The two were standing in an airport. The man was in his late twenties, having an almost full mustache. He wore overalls over a dark green shirt, and a hat which obscured most of his messy brown hair. He was holding the hand of a woman who wore a dark yellow dress, with orange seams.

Luigi was his name- he had carried his friend's bags for her to the airport. And now, it had finally hit him that she was leaving for good, and he could never see her again.

"Now's not the time, Luigi... you must let me leave!" She begged him, "I can't stay here, we've talked about this... I don't want to miss my flight!"

With that she pulled her hand free from Luigi's own. When she did so, her white glove came off her hand, and she dashed away with tears in her eyes, carrying her suitcases. Luigi was left, holding that lone glove. With a trembling lip, he began to sob, there in the airport, in front of the crowds.

- - -

He woke up.

_It was... a dream_, he thought, _a very painful dream... but it doesn't matter anymore. She's just a figment of my past now. I have Jennie._

He looked beside him at his wife, who was lying comfortably next to him. He smiled at her, glad that he had found himself a new love. About a year and a half ago, he married her. It was the happiest moment of his life. Yet, he wondered what brought about his dream about Daisy. 

He looked out his window, which was a very large, elaborate one that his brother placed there especially for him when he built his house. Mario knew Luigi better then anyone, and he knew he liked big windows. He always did, ever since he was a small boy.

Luigi could see the sun rising slowly in the distance, painting the sky brilliant, vibrant shades of light blue and pink. It was six-o-clock, late spring. He had always been an early riser, a great contrast to Mario, who would sleep his life away if he could.

Luigi glanced over at his wife, then thought of making her breakfast-in-bed. He grinned and walked down a flight of stairs to the second floor, where his kitchen was located. He had become an excellent cook over the years, mainly because of past experiences he had with Mario, who would pay him to cook him a meal he thought was good enough to buy. Yet, when it came to food, Mario was hard not to please- he would eat just about anything.

He rummaged through cabinets for any sort of ingredient he might need, and emptied a few things onto the kitchen counter. As he prepared them, lost in thoughts, he began to think about his and Mario's childhood.

They were raised alone, abandoned by whoever parents they had. When they were infants they were rescued by Yoshis, who brought them to civilization and saved them from the evil hands of Kamek, the caretaker of Bowser. Growing up alone, his brother and he discovered a few ways to help them survive, and scrape out a living in the big city of Toad Town.

He remembered clearly the first time he had witnessed it. Mario had used a fireball, forming fire from his hands seemingly out of nowhere. Being a little brother, Luigi tried to mimic Mario and soon learned how to control his own element. It had always been a mystery to them where they came from, and no one knew how it happened. If they did, they never told them, and kept it secret.

He glanced down at his hands, which were chaliced from the wear and tear he had put on them over the years of being a warrior. Even when he wasn't harnessing his odd power, his hands always seemed to be filled with energy.

He picked up a knife and began to dice mushrooms, when he sensed the presence of Jennie behind him. He glanced over his shoulder.

"Hey, beautiful. I'm making you some mushroom omelettes."

She came up behind him and rubbed his shoulders. "You're so sweet, Luigi."

He couldn't see her, but he could picture her vividly as he sliced the mushrooms. She had long, brown hair, a round face and what he thought was the cutest little nose he ever saw. He didn't care what other people thought of her features- he thought she was the most beautiful being on the planet.

"So what are the plans for today?" He asked her as he placed the mushrooms in a skillet and began to turn on the fire of the oven.

"We were going to go over to the putting greens to play a game of golf with Mario and Peach. Is that alright?"

"Of course. I haven't played golf in a long time." Luigi replied as he watched the mushrooms closely, not wanting to overdo his wife's breakfast. "I'm kind of afraid I've lost my arm for it."

"I've never played it, so we can mess up together." She said with a chuckle.

Luigi smiled back. It was great not having to worry about anything anymore- Bowser was very quiet lately, now that he knew Mario and Peach were married, and with the Dragon crisis solved, he knew that life would be very smooth for him.

Or, would it be?


	2. A Day of Pleasure, a Night of Terror

A/N: Sorry for the delay people. I've been buzy as a beaver lately and I haven't been able to write much, and when I do, I'm writing in my original novels, working on getting them to publishable content. In the meanwhile I am away from my computer and I'm writing this chapter on a different computer. I like the keyboard on this one better then mine, lol!  
----

CHAPTER TWO: A DAY OF PLEASURE, A NIGHT OF TERROR

Luigi, Mario, Jennie, and Peach stood on the golf feild, carrying their equipment with them. It was a beautiful day, with cool weather and sunshine. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, and there was a slightly bitter, yet pleasant scent of fresh-cut grass in the air. Luigi followed his brother, breathing deeply, then said, "so, how's it going, Mario?"

"Oh, pretty good," Mario said with a grin, "We're redesigning the house a bit, getting ready for kids, you know?"

"So how's that coming?" Luigi asked, excited that he was soon going to have a nephew or neice.

"We've cleared out a side of the house for a new room." Mario replied, his expression excited, happy, and nervous. "I really want a daughter, but no one can decide that. I'll be happy with whatever we get."

There was a comfortable silence as the brothers walked among the smooth grass, followed by their wives, then Mario asked, "so, what about you, Luigi? Any plans?"

"Not yet. We're still settling in." He scratched the back of his head where his hair protruded from under his hat. "Its just so nice to finally be away from all the fighting. It only makes me wonder what Bowser is up to these days. He's been very quiet lately. He hasn't attacked in years."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Mario asked, then the two brothers chuckled.

"Still," Luigi replied, catching his breath, "it feels almost awkward not having any lives to save."

"I hope you won't have to worry about saving lives anymore." Jennie spoke, after having her own conversation with Peach. "This is a time of peace. Things are finally going easy for us. Let's not ruin the moment."

The four walked to their first hole, and Mario began to set up his equipemnt and search for the right club. As usual, he was going first. Luigi didn't care- it was good for him to go first, so he knew what to beat. He watched Mario set up the golf ball, and then, he positioned himself in front of it, anylizing the green, careful to make the right move. He then swung his club, and there was a breif orange glow around his hands. Then, after a mighty swing, he smashed the club into the ball and sent it flying into the air.

"Wow, nice one, Mario!" Peach exclaimed.

"Thanks." Mario tipped his cap. "Let's go see how it turned out!"

As they began following the red-clad hero, they were unaware of watching eyes.

Stepping out of the shadow of a nearby tree, was Ironclaw. Over the course of the last two years he had spent it practicing Shadowblending- he found it almost too easy to master, because Opus had once taken his body, and some of Opus's consciousness was retained in Ironclaw's own, and he learned how Opus could Shadowblend. Shutting his eyes, he began to Mindchat to his cousin Malice.

"_You're right. The red one is definately using some sort of strange power to hit the golf ball. Its a light red energy_."

"_I told you Ironclaw, there is no other explanation. Both the Mario Brothers have mastered Light Magic. Now, did you see how he did it_?"

"_There was nothing that he did. His hands began to glow. I'm not sure how he caused it to happen. He said nothing, did no guestures. He just raised his hand and swung_."

"_Hm_..." Malice hummed in Ironclaw's mind. "_This could be tricky. We must find out how to use Magic, or else we will never be able to control the course of night and day... this entire world is determined by that energy, the Light Magic. If we can use our own, the Dark Magic, we can conquer this world_..."

"_I wonder, has Mario or Luigi ever used Dark Magic_?" Ironclaw wondered.

"_No. I've never seen them do it_..."

"_Then who do you think can, Malice? If someone's actions determine the kind of magic they can use... who is able to master it_?"

_"I think those who proclaim to be good can only use Light Magic, and those who proclaim to be evil, or at least not good, can use Dark Magic, which we of course know is more powerful. Who do you think can do this, hm_?"

Their mental conversation ceased for a few moments, then both of them said at the same time, "_Magikoopas! The most loyal subjects of Lord Bowser_!"

-----------

Ironclaw and Malice kicked down the great metal doors to Bowser's castle and strode down the halls, their heads held high, their shoulders firm. They strode past Koopas who stared at them with fear, and did not attack. They walked to the main throne room, and discovered Lord Bowser, and his advisors.

At Bowser's feet stood his son, Junior, and next to him, Kamek and a few Magikoopas.

"What!? Who do you think you are, walking right into my castle like that!?" Demanded the Koopa King, spitting as he spoke, raving. "Kamek! Stop them!"

Kamek raised his magic wand and shot a blast of dark energy towards the dragons, sealing them inside a chamber. They made no attempt to leave.

"Lord Bowser, we come here seeking the secrets of magic. Dark magic." Malice spoke calmly.

"What...?" Bowser was suddenly interested.

Junior giggled in his high-pitched voice as he sat at his father's feet. He, like his dad, was green-scaled with a patch of red hair on his head. But, Junior wore a peculiar hankerchief around his neck, with some sort of growling face drawn on it in red and black paint. "Daddy, they want to join us!" He squeaked.

"Do you, now...?" Bowser grumbled, rubbing his leathery yellow chin, part of his body that was not concealed in scales. "Kamek has been using Dark Magic since he was born. He's a rare one. And he doesn't reveal his secrets to just anyone. In fact, hes one of the few people in this planet that knows about the secrets of Magic. And to think, the Mario Brothers have been running around with it since they were babies and yet no one bothers to wonder exactly where it came from. They only believe it was some sort of genetic birth defect. Fools."

Bowser stood up and began to approach the dragons, still in the force feild, and he growled, "So, you two will need to prove your worth."

Kamek cleared his throat, then said, "lord Bowser!? I am the one in charge of magic here! And I am not going to reveal my secrets to these two! We don't know what they're capable of- they could be weaklings!"

"That's why they need to prove themselves, Kamek... I've been wanting to attack Mario ever since he married my love. But I can't, because I know I'd lose, as I usually do." He spoke with such anger in his voice, then he said, "but if we were able to train more users of magic, just to see if they're strong enought handle it, then we may be able to have a chance against the Mario Brother's power of light."

"Hm..." Kamek hummed. "Well, they are powerful, but you are right, as usual, Lord Bowser."

The Koopa King grinned. "Now... let's put them through the tests... and then, we will strike. Now tell me, you two, what brings you to try and do this?"

"You only want revenge, Lord Bowser, but we want this planet. If we kill their king Mario, we can take control of this planet and prepare it for a new dominion of Moonshards. And I know exactly how to do it... except we need magic to accomplish this..."

Malice then began to reveal his plan to Bowser- a plan of utter destruction.

---------

A/N: It's very confusing, isn't it? I just can't seem to get out my ideas of light and dark magic in a tangible way so let me try to explain this. The good guys can only use Light Magic, not dark magic. By their actions in life, it determines what makes them good or evil. The bad guys can use Dark Magic but if they're redeemed they can no longer use it. Dark magic is actually weaker then Light Magic, but in numbers, it may be able to overcome the Light if they lose hope.

As for Malice's plan, I have this great idea that ties in with the last book, but I don't want to reveal it just yet and that's why I didn't have him actually speak the plan in this chapter. You'll have to wait 'till later.


	3. The Secret of Alteration

A/N: Dang, I haven't updated this in FOREVER... sorry about that. My time has been rather limited lately. I have however managed to sit down and write out another chapter. Hope you're enjoying this.

-------------------

CHAPTER THREE: THE SECRET OF ALTERATION

The game of golf had ended after two hours of swinging in the cool sun, and Peach had won, with Luigi losing behind his own wife. Mario came in second, and Luigi was beginning to wonder if he had let Peach win.

"Well, that was very fun," Jennie said, "I can't believe I don't remember any of this culture. What other games do you play here?"

"Well, we race in cars, and play tennis, and basketball... all kinds of stuff." Mario explained. "We should show you to a new game every week, how does that sound?"

"I'd like that." Replied the woman calmly. "Its just so nice to finally be free again... your world is beautiful, so much different then the Dragon Kingdom... I was just so used to the perpetual nighttime and starlight... and this world, the daytime is a beautiful thing to me."

As they strode across the thin-cut fields, Luigi's mind began to drift to subjects he had tried to avoid. He thought about Serphen and Aeolian, the dragons who died during the final battles in the Citadel. Their sacrifices determined the world, and Luigi still cried over their losses at times. To divert his thoughts, he began to imagine Reyva, wearing a coat of dark scales, sharing her wisdom to the world.   
Thoughts of Reyva turned into thoughts of Symphony and Opus, who had left after spending a few weeks in the Mushroom Kingdom to the Sky Humblers. Then, Luigi wondered how the old man Briney was doing- he was over sixty years old, and was probably still out on the sea. He was such a friendly, playful man for his age, Luigi missed him. And Trott- the Paratroopa still worked for the Paratroopatroll of the High Skies, dealing with foreign affairs and military issues.

Zin and Malidor were still a mystery to Luigi- he hadn't seen them since he left the Dragon Kingdom. He suspected they would at least be married by now, and living peacefully in the Arcane City, ordering Growle around. He scowled as he thought of the ice dragon- he wondered if Growle had been broken, or if there was still a few tricks up his sleeve.

And lastly, Ironclaw and Malice. He remembered defeating them a few times in the Citadel, and both of them left without a trace. He wondered what they were up to, and if they still had some part to play in the history of the world?

The thought made him shiver.

"Luigi?"

The voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned and saw his wife standing near him, her hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright? You seem a little distant."

"He does that sometimes," Mario said over his shoulder as he walked in front of them, his golf equipment slung over his back, "Luigi's a pretty contemplative person. Lives in the past."

Luigi couldn't help but to grin- Mario knew every single aspect of Luigi, inside and out. Growing up without parents, he and his brother had to deal with their mundane troubles together. Luigi never knew what happened to his parents. Perhaps Mario knew, but he never spoke of it, and Luigi never asked him. He wondered why, after all the thirty-two years he had been alive, he had never asked Mario about his parents. Mario had always been his parent in a way, or at least a role model.

"So what are you thinking about, hm?" Jennie asked affectionately.

"I was just... thinking about where everyone's ended up since the end of the Moon two years ago... and I was wondering what Ironclaw and Malice are up to..."

"Their master is gone and their moon was destroyed." Peach said, "there's nothing to worry about. They're powerless."

"I know, but... one thing I was thinking about, is this planet has a moon, too..."  
There was silence.

"Our planet cycles night and day. If they can get energy from our moon at night, then they'd lose it constantly because of the sun. We're perfectly fine." Mario added his two-cents. "Besides, what could they want with our planet, anyway?"

"...Evil is a very twisted thing... it'll do anything for revenge."

The conversation ended there.

------

"So, are you two ready for your first magic lesson?" Kamek tapped his wand in his clawed hand, staring at the two intently. "You've passed every single test of vitality, strength, and stamina. Now, since Bowser and I are pleased with you, I shall teach you the basics of magic..."  
He spun around, his hooded cloak flowing from the motion, then he stretched his arms out and said, "the magic in this world courses through everything. It is a neutral thing, but it can be picked up and harnessed with proper training. This world choses not to believe in magic, but rather, believes that those who are gifted with it simply have a birth defect. However, magic is the only explanation."

Kamek raised his wand and shot a blast of energy towards the wall. "This is a dark magic weapon, see? Not a mere trick of projectiles! It is a powerful thing capable of creating intense pain. The Mario Brothers weild a different kind of magic. They may not know this, but light magic can do one of two things- increase their strength to strike down their foe, or decrease their strength to heal or help their friends. Our magic decreases our strength but creates a projectile of dark matter.  
"One other king of magic, is the magic of illusion. This is an overall neutral thing- not good, or evil. Sadly, only larger beings can preform magic of illusion. As I have observed, only you Dragons are capable of this magic. This being, Shadowblending.

"And the last class of magic is the magic of alteration. This is the ability to alter an environment- to control the course of nature. Dark Magic can twist and deform nature, while Light Magic can create things out of nature. This is the strongest, and most energy-consuming magic."

Kamek began pacing, then muttered something. He glanced up, his eyes behind his glasses were thoughtful, then he said, "now, explain to me why you wish to learn this skill..."

"My plan," Malice said with an irresistible grin, "is to master Alteration, and to deform the course of night and day on this planet. Ironclaw and I want to draw new energy from the moon, and deform it to strengthen the race of Dragons. I will go back to the Dragon Kingdom and bring back anyone who wishes to follow me. As soon as they will enter, they will succumb to the power of our new moon. I want to deform this world, and stop the flow of time. I want to create a perpetual darkness, so our Dragonkind can fulfull my father's desires and create a new dominion... using the fragments of what he once had.

"We shall be the Shards of Neglect... for we have been neglected by our old Moon, and scattered across the world."

Ironclaw noticed that Kamek seemed confused, and he spoke, "The Moonshard clan has always existed with neclkaces constructed from the dust of the moon special necklaces that made us who we were. Then when Growle rose to power, he began to attempt to stretch his reign across the Starbringers. Many Moonshards died, and others were lost in the depths of our planet. Its only logical to say that we are the Shards of Neglect."

Kamek nodded, "so... you wish to alter this planet itself? I must say, the three of us alone can't do this. Trust me," he chuckled, "If I could do it alone, I would've done it a long time ago. I could try to teach you alteration, but its something that not even I can fully understand. I suggest you find some friends of yours from the Dragon Kingdom and see if they can help you."

"Yes..." Ironclaw hummed. "Many of us were lost. I think most of them are still alive, though stripped of their power from the moon. We can convince them to come to this planet and gather a new power from a new moon."

Malice rubbed his red scales with thought, then blinked his cold eyes and said, "haven't you taught Lord Bowser any of this?"  
"Oh, he's not gifted at all," Kamek groaned, "I've tried, but he will have none of it. Brute force works too, you know. At least I was able to help my friend Kammy learn it. She was a pain, but we got by."

Malidor idly picked up a nearby stray brick, which was black like the rest of Bowser's castle, then he said calmly, "So... if I bring back a few of my friends here... will you teach all of us everything you know about alteration, starting with the basics?"

"Of course. That is, if you all have potential. I would much like to see this world finally under something other then the Mario Brother's reign. They rule things with such a boring manner. I'd like to see some smoke and flame rising from their cities!"


	4. To Terminate Joy

CHAPTER FOUR: TO TERMINATE JOY

"Mail call!"

Luigi knew Parakarry's voice well- the Paratroopa had been in the mail buisness ever since Luigi and Mario built their houses in the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario had once traveled the world with Parakarry at his side, and came back with many exciting stories about his adventures. The Paratroopa normally did his job well, but occasionally dropped letters.

Luigi stepped outside after hearing the exclamation, finding his mailbox filled with letters, and Parakarry gone, as he usually left before saying hello. He was one busy Koopa. Luigi stepped to his small green mailbox and reached inside to examine the notes. Most of them were junk, he found as he flipped through them, but he stopped when he noticed one peculiar letter.

"What's this...?" He muttered, squinting so he could see the handwriting on the front of the letter. "Addressed to the Mario Brothers... from... Crystelle?!"

She was the last person Luigi expected to receive a letter from, especially since Crystelle lived in the Shiver Region- the southmost part of the world. It couldn't be anything other then bad news, Luigi thought, and he kenw if he was to open and read it, Mario needed to hear it too.

Luigi entered his house and tossed the other mail on a table which was placed conveniently near the doorway, solely for the purpose of tossing keys or other busily used belongings for a quick grab. He then called, "Jennie, I'm off to see Mario. You can come too if you want. I got this strange letter... from someone that helped us in our journey to the Dragon Kingdom. Its addressed to both of us so I think I should read it with him."

She was in the kitchen, Luigi could tell by the sound of running water. She heard him, and replied, "I'm making lunch. You go alone, and tell me what it said, okay?"

"Okay, I'll be back soon." Luigi spun around and once again stepped outside, holding Crystelle's mysterious letter tightly. Mario's house was a convenient short walk from his own house, and he always enjoyed the road there. He loved walking outside in warm weather.

When he arrived at his brother's small house, he knocked on the door loudly. There was no answer, and Luigi knocked again louder. He heard his brother shout something from the other side, but Luigi couldn't tell what he said. After a few moments, he was greeted by Mario, who was half-dressed with a towel wrapped tightly around his waist.

"Oh, Luigi..." Mario groaned, "you should know better, I always take my showers at eleven!"

"Yeah, because that's when you wake up." Luigi said with an irresistible grin, knowing that it was a crying shame how late Mario tended to awaken.

Mario didn't have anything to say to that, and he then said, "well, come on inside, what is it?"

"I think you should probably get dressed first. This might take a while..." Luigi held up the letter, and Mario quickly took it from his hands without warning and glanced over the writing.

"Crystelle?" He breathed.

"Yeah."

"Hang on, Weege."

Mario traveled briskly down a hallway and entered a room. Luigi walked idly about the living room, waiitng, picking up small objects and placing them back where he found them until Mario re-appeared wearing his red shirt and overalls.

"Let's see that letter!"

Mario and Luigi sat down on his couch, which was a few years ago, Luigi's own bed, and he was surprised that he was able to sleep on it at all in comparison to his new bed.

He slid his fingers under the folded side of the envelope and unfastened it from its sticky hold, and he then slid the contents out.

It was a folded piece of notebook paper, simple as can be, but Luigi was almost dreading what it would say.

"I'll read it out loud... okay... it says..." Luigi began, "...'Dear Mario and Luigi, Hello. It's Crystelle, the snow woman (in case you cannot remember me). How are you two? Life is great for me. I'm finally married and living in the same place I have been for years in the Shiver Region. I still take frequent walks in blizzards and I still visit the Sky Humblers every so often, as you may expect snow to do.

"'I don't mean to be a killjoy and ruin this would-be pleasant little letter, but, there's something strange going on around here lately. A few days ago I went for a walk in the ice, and I spotted strange activity nearby. The snow has written in its pages, feet. Yes, footprints- footprints in the snow... footprints that belong to none other then a dragon. Now, as I kept exploring, I noticed that there had been more then two dragons.

"'Curiosity led me further, and I stumbled across something that I dreadfully announce to you. More dragons. Yes, this time not just a footprint. There's ten dragons here. Ten- and among them, Ironclaw and Malice, the Dragons I've heard were apart of Growle's team. They apparently had come down from the sky and landed here in the Shiver Region, brought here by Ironclaw and Malice. I don't know about you but I don't think this good at all.

"'I think you should strengthen your guard around the Mushroom Kingdom. If these dragons are planning anything, its going to be against the king and his brother. Revenge. Either that, or its going to be against the kingdom itself. Just keep your guard up and I'll try my best to ward them off, but I don't think my blizzards will be able to do much damage against dragons that size.

"'So... I hope you'll be alright. With concern, Crystelle.'"

For a few long moments, Mario and Luigi merely stared at the sheet of paper, unable to bring themselves to say anything. Then, they slowly exchanged glances. With one letter- their life was once again changed. Once again, there is danger in their midst.

"This... is...insane..." Luigi's voice was so quiet, Mario could barely hear him. He dropped the paper and buried his face in his hands. Mario rubbed his brother's back, his expression grim. He had nothing to say. He didn't think words could do anything at that moment.

"Why can't they leave us alone...?" His voice was no more then a whisper. "Why can't I have a normal life?"

"We need to do our duty as this kingdom's protectors." Mario brought himself to speak. "Even if it dominates our entire lives."

"But... why now...?" He choked. "...I think we're jinxed... I just have to think about this sort of thing happening, and guess what? Two weeks later... we get this!?" He wrenched his hands away from his face and looked at Mario, eyes red. "Why...?"

The older brother could do nothing but listen to Luigi. He had the same questions, and no way to answer them that would please him.

"Sometime Luigi, it will be over. But now isn't that time. Besides... we don't even know if Ironclaw is really planning anything."

"Then why is he here...?"

"I... don't know."


	5. More Secrets Uncovered

CHAPTER FIVE: MORE SECRETS UNCOVERED

"'Dear Mario and Luigi... its me again, Crystelle. Back with some more trying news. Here's how we stand- I tracked the beasts through my snow world, and they're headed for Bowser's kingdom. I'm not sure what they would want with Bowser but whatever it is, it is not good. 

"This is as far as I can go. I can't leave the Shiver Region. Its too warm for me out there and I'd without doubt die, so, I wont be able to send you any more news. But I will tell you this- whatever those dragons are doing in Bowser's kingdom can't be good. You see, I overheard them say something about magic. I don't know if you two know this, but magic is actually a very popular thing, yet no one knows how or why it works. No one talks about it either, thinking that strange talents are just birthrights.  
"I'll go ahead and tell you that yes, I control snow, and I do it by magic, or at least, a birthright. I use my gifts to help others survive in blizzards. This is why I live out here, rescuing people from the snow. And I will tell you that what I have observed you two accomplish is a rare and extraordinary talent, and yet, you don't even know what it is, do you? Very few people do. I think you should seek someone who could tell you more about it. I won't ruin any mysteries.'"

Luigi and Mario stared blankly at the new letter. It had been two weeks since their last letter from Crystelle, the letter that changed their lives. Luigi remembered telling Jennie about it, and getting not much in reply. It was hard information to digest, and neither he nor his wife were taking it very well.

Could he not have a moment of peace?

Luigi sighed, frustrated as he laid the letter down on his table.

"Well," Mario sighed, trying to remain cheerful. He leaned back in his chair and placed his feet up on the table. "This stinks."

"I can't take much more of this..." Luigi remarked, placing a hand to his forehead. "What does she mean by all this magic stuff? We've always been able to use our elements. What does that have to do with magic?"

"Maybe there's something deeper behind it," mused Mario as he closed his eyes, "I've always wondered how we got our powers. I think we should go ask someone who might know about it."

"And who would that be?"

"Remember Merlon?"

Luigi groaned. "How could I not?" The eccentric Merlon, he recalled, was a peculiar hooded and cloaked man who stayed nestled away in an odd house in the farthest corner of town. People said he had the gift of foresight, but some doubted him. But if anyone knew about the paranormal world of magic, it was him.

"Well, they couldn't have come from nowhere," Jennie stated, who had been listening in from nearby. "I would much like to find out where Luigi got his lightning powers. Perhaps you two should go see Merlon?"

"I don't see why not," said Peach. "Jennie and I will stay here. Girls night out. I think its best that you ask Merlon about this. See if he knows anything."

Luigi and Mario exchanged reluctant glances. Merlon was always an odd fellow, keeping to himself in his hermitage in a forest. They never liked talking to him, for he was so melancholic, but at the moment, they believed they didn't have much of a choice. If he did know anything about their gifts, it would be worth a visit.

They had never asked anyone before about where their gifts had come from. They believed it to be just what it was called- gifts- a gift that had no other origin but from the heart. Yet, the more they thought about it, the more they discovered that there had to be some deeper meaning. It couldn't have just happened out of thin air, it had to have an origin, and it was something they needed to trace.

"Well, I guess that's it, then." Mario sat up from his laid-back position and took to his feet. He slipped his deep brown boots onto his feet and said to Peach, "see you, honey. Have fun."

"Be careful, Mario." Peach replied.

"Um... bye, Jennie." Luigi waved as he followed his brother to the door. "I won't be gone long. Trust me."

"I trust you more then anyone, Luigi."

The words made him grin as he slipped outside, shutting the door gently behind him. He then walked briskly to catch up with his older brother, who had already begun a hasty walk down the pathway. Instead of taking the normal route to Toad Town, Luigi watched as Mario took a detour and cut off into a much less trodden roadway through a thin forest.

Deep gleams of sunlight bathed the ground and silhouetted the occasional tree. The ground beneath Luigi's boots crunched as he walked, from the leaves that littered the forest floor. He glanced up from the ground and could see through the trees, Merlon's peculiar house, at the edge of Toad Town's walls.

Mario was the first to come to the doorway and he knocked.

"Merlon is out!" Came a gruff voice from behind the door.

"Its Mario. I have a question!" Mario called, annoyed at Merlon's persistence at trying to ward off visitors, even if it meant doing so with an obvious outburst of lies.

"I said, Merlon is out!"

"We have a question- about magic!" Luigi yelled over his brother's shoulder.

There was silence from the other end. Then at last, the grumpy voice spoke again. "Well, why didn't you say so, get in here!"

Mario found it safe to open the door, and he was greeted to an eerie room lit by blue balls of flame glittering in candles. In the luminance, there was a blue hue to the brothers' faces. They glanced around the place, smelling incense, and then, they found Merlon. He blended in strangely well with the room in his blue cape and hood. Though his eyes were obscured by his hood, a bushy beard and mustache was clearly seen.

"So, what is it? What do you wish to ask old Merlon? Come, have a seat!"

The brothers sat on the floor next to each other.

"We want to know about magic... and if its real, or if there's just birthrights in this world..."

"Magic is a secret." Merlon stated simply, "those who know it only tell those who clearly show promise in the subject. Of course it could pass off as a rare talent, but anyone can learn magic... especially those gifted in it."

The old man stood from his seat and began to pace. "Too few know about it. Even fewer care to know how to use it, and even less care to teach it. Its a hard subject to master, very hard. But the greatest masters can learn to alter the very world around them with a simple word..."

He faced the Mario Brothers, but they couldn't tell if he was looking at them or not, due to his cloak. He then spoke again, "so you've finally come, hm? You've finally decided you want to increase the talent I know you have with magic? Every person uses it differently, but magic is actually a science, and conforms to the same principles despite the personal differences... such as Mario weilds fire, and Luigi to lightning."

Mario and Luigi exchanged glances, then Mario butted in. "We just want to know if its real or not, Merlon, we didn't come for a lesson."

"Oh... did you, now..." Merlon seemed disappointed. "You two show such promise, you use magic quite often. Do you not want to become better at it at all?"

"Well, not really, sir. We just want to know how we got it in the first place." Mario spoke for Luigi, even though Luigi himself wanted to learn more about using it. Mario didn't seem to want to take the time, for his impatient nature got the best of him.

"Well, then," Merlon grimaced behind his hood. "Magic comes from everywhere, its the very thing that keeps this world spinning on its axis. It flows through the air. Some people are gifted, and can pick it up without realizing it. Others have no clue what it is nor care. You two, you rare few, have learned projectile magic at a young age and refined your ability to harness it without knowing. So, magic has always been with you, you've just never opened your eyes to figure out exactly what it is."

Luigi glanced at his hands, then clenched his fist. "I... I want to know more..." He whispered.

"Not now, Weege. Look, Merlon, thanks a lot for telling us. I am actually interested in learning more sometime, but not now. My wife is waiting for me and I haven't had much time to unwind today." Said Mario. "How about some other time, can you teach us? I think we might need to learn, considering the activity of dragons as of late."

Merlon seemed hopeful again, and he said, "I've been waiting to teach you two for a long time... a very long time... come by, whenever you feel like it, and I'll teach you."

With that, Mario thanked him and stood up, followed reluctantly by Luigi. As soon as they exited, Luigi asked, "Why did you do that? We could've learned more!"

"Listen, Weege, I don't want to devote too much time to such a stupid subject... it doesn't matter, okay?"

"But it does, Mario, learning this stuff could determine the outcome of a battle!"

"I... I know..." Mario began to soften, then he said, "I just... its just so painful..." He whispered, and closed his eyes for a moment. "Look, never mind. Forget I said anything."

"Painful?" Luigi asked, sensing that something was wrong. Mario rarely acted like this. There was definitely something deeply wrong with him.

"Its not important."

"Mario, please..."

"NO! NO!" Mario shouted. "I'm _not_ telling you _anything_!"

Luigi recoiled, taken aback by Mario's strange behavior. He hadn't yelled at him like this in years. Looking like an abused puppy, Luigi continued on without looking at Mario, the shadows of the trees obscuring his saddened eyes.

Mario, realizing what he had done to his sensitive brother, groaned to himself. "What have I done...?" He then hurried up to Luigi and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry..."

"Its okay."

"I just... it has to do with... something that happened a long time ago. You were one year old... and... I was five... and..."

Luigi blinked. "What...?"

"...Look, its a story for another time. Maybe we'll talk later, okay?"

Luigi found the response hard to accept, but perhaps it was hard for Mario to speak of it himself. Did it have to do with his parents?


	6. Revelation

A/N: I'm making a heavy attempt to increase the quality of the Luigi's Dragons series, so I'm going back into the first one here in a few days to do some touching up in it, I'll add some more details here and there, and make it flow a bit easier. In the meanwhile, I'm also continuing LD 2, of course.

CHAPTER SIX: REVELATION

Luigi woke to the sound of the coffee maker. By the heaviness of his eyelids, he could tell, it was not any normal time to be making coffee. He knew that Jennie was not awake, she was still beside him. Curious, he rose from his bedsheets, dressed in his favorite green pajamas, and began his decent down the stairs which led to his kitchen and living room.

"Mario...?" He rubbed his eyes. "Its three in the morning..."

He found his brother Mario sitting on a chair in the kitchen, staring at a coffee pot, deep rings under his eyes. His hands were placed under his chin, propping his head up, keeping him awake.

"What's wrong?" Mario rarely came to Luigi's house, especially at a time like this- Mario never woke up anywhere earlier then nine o'clock. Luigi could only guess that there was something the matter with him, otherwise he would have no other reason to come.

"I thought I could wake you up this way," Mario gave his brother a slight smirk. "Making coffee..."

Luigi took a seat next to his brother and restated his question, and Mario answered, "I... I had a dream. I wanted to tell you about it before I forget it."

"Go ahead, I'm listening."

Mario sighed through closed lips, then began, "It was more then a dream. A few minutes ago, I was asleep, and I got a message from Reyva."

"What?!" Luigi seemed confused. "Didn't Kinimanji say that Mindchatting to someone that's not related to you is a skill too hard for a young dragon to learn?"

"Yes, but this is what she said... she said that she could Mindchat to me because she is my guardian. Do you remember what Serphen said, that day after Symphony healed you from the Blight? He said he was your bodyguard as Reyva was to me. She found out that she comminucate to me. And Luigi, get this... this is what she said.

"She told me that she remembered seeing ten dragons escape their atmosphere, towards our planet. She said that she knew something was wrong, and she said that as the leader of her people, and as we are the Dragon Kingdom's allies, she will come to the Mushroom Kingdom soon and track down those ten. She said she wanted to know if I saw them. I told her that Crystelle did, and they were headed to Bowser's Castle.

"She said she would make landing in the Mushroom Kingdom in two weeks, with a small army of Dragons, such as our allies from the past. She said that she believes its a dangerous thing happening here, and she doesn't want to take any chances. She's coming here, and she wants to come with us to Bowser's Castle and stop whatever plan these ten enemies have. She wanted us to help because we know our territory more then the dragons, and we especially know Bowser's Castle."

Luigi sat in confusion for a few moments, having trouble taking in Mario's words. He then realized what was happening- Reyva was bringing an army of dragons here, to stop whatever plan those ten dragons had, Ironclaw and Malice being among them. This meant, more fighting.

"So... I guess this means... we have to get our bearings...?"

"Yeah, and I think to do that, we better talk to Merlon again."

There was silence. The coffee maker trickling was the only sound in the room. After these moments of silence, Luigi spoke solemnly, "...Mario... where are our parents?"

His brother's face went cold, but he didn't speak. After many awkward moments, Luigi felt as though it was a secret Mario did not want to share. Then, he finally broke the silence in the coldest tone Luigi had ever heard come from Mario's mouth.

"They're dead, Luigi."

The conversation ended.

--------------

Kamek paced in the hall, looking at his eight new students intently. "Well done, Malice and Ironclaw. Most of these students seem to show promise. Now, I want you all to tell me your names, right down the line, starting with you." He jabbed a finger at a young, electric yellow dragon.

"Tiensai." He said.

Next, was a darker, maroon dragon. "Olrig."

An energetic purple dragon, who was bouncing up and down impatiently on his seat on the floor, said, "Entao!"

The next two dragons, both female, looked exactly alike in their coat of sky-blue scales, except one had purple eyes, and the other had green eyes. They said at the same time, "Our names are one and whole- we are Ouden!"

The next, who was the oldest out of the eight in his gray scales, said, "I'm Aroz." His eyes were golden, in great contrast to his gray scales.

The next two, one was a light brown, and the other, a dark red, both faught over who was to talk next. Finally, they both shouted at the same times their names, and Kamek coudln't hear them, but he decided to let them slide.

"Very well. I've got quite a bunch it seems. So I'll begin to teach all ten of you projectile magics."

Ironclaw and Malice, who were standing nearby, grinned. Their team, he knew, would be capable soon of altering the world, and creating a perpetual darkness. Malice then stepped forth and said, "but first, Kame, I think we should know our enemy. Can you tell us what you know of the Mario Brothers?"

Kamek grinned. "Its a story that I never get tired of telling. The night I killed their parents, I was sure they would never rise to power like they have. Yet, they've still become my worst enemies."

"You killed their parents?" Ironclaw grinned maliciously. "How did you do that, pray tell?"

Kamek chuckled. "I originally set out to capture the two boys, to train them in dark magic before they made the choice in their life that they were going to follow the path of light, whether they knew it was Light Magic or not. Their choices determined their power, and now, they can never go back to darkness.

"Mario was a boy old enough to know what was going on at the time, when I stopped at his parent's doorstep and knocked down their door. Mario was five years old, and knew that he and his family was in danger. I told them that I was here for their two boys, along with one-year-old Luigi. Of course, the humans wouldn't give up their children. I told them that I was drawn to the magic energies they had- I knew they were gifted, beyond gifted, and I wanted to train them in darkness.  
"Mario seemed to know that he was gifted in magic, and he began to shoot fireballs at me, even in his young age he had mastered the projectile arts, and it seemed to be Dark Magic, too. He had not made enough choices in his life to determine Light Magic. So, I knew I still had a chance.

"But, his magic was much weaker comapared to my own, and I deflected his fireballs, and they returned to the sender. Mario, stunned, was too young and not nimble enough to escape his own magic energy, so his mother jumped in front of him. His fire killed her. So, with her out of my way, I was able to blow through the father, who had a shotgun in his hands. He couldn't do anything to stop me, but he did succeed in distracting me long enough for Mario to run away.

I only succeeded in capturing the green one Luigi, unfortunately, the red one got away. So, I took him to my castle with my other adopted son Bowser. Unfortunately, some annoying Yoshis got in my way later, and were able to free Luigi as well. I was devestated- those I knew could become such powerful users of magic soon became the men you see today."

The dragons who were hearing were angered by the story. "You could have stopped them from every becoming how they are today! Because of that, they've become our worst enemies." Malice spoke.

"You don't have to remind me!" Kamek shouted, outraged. "It was my mistake to let the Yoshis rescue Luigi and get away with both the Mario Brothers. But now, see, we have a chance to shine again. If I can teach the ten of you, from start to finish, Dark Magic, we can alter the very world itself, and send this world plummeting into perpetual darkness!"

A/N: So, now the READER knows what happened to Mario's parents, but Luigi doesn't. So I don't think I've revealed too much for so early into this book. What do you think? I've tried combining the storyline of Yoshi's Island in this, to make it make more sense, and I thought it fit perfectly, since Kamek was, in fact, the one who captured Luigi. Yet, I've made it realistic, since E rated games can't have the 'how babies are made' theme in them, I've gotten rid of the whole stork subplot from Yoshi's Island. Mario and Luigi have real parents. XP


	7. Magic Energy

A/N: Short chapter alert. Sorry everyone! X( I've been wanting to write original stuff as of late (but that doesn't mean I've lost intrest in my fanfictions, I'll still update regularly!) But you'll just have to cope with short chapters. Besides, short is good, you know? Its easier to read in one setting.

On a side note, guess what I finally played? CHRONO CROSS!!! I've been dying to play Chrono Cross ever since I beat Chrono Trigger, one of my favorite games. I must say, I was overly impressed. The muisc is superb and inspiring, it makes me just want to compose! Which I did.

Anyway, here ya go. Try to enjoy it.

CHAPTER SEVEN: MAGIC ENERGY

"Welcome back, Mario and Luigi."

The two brothers were once again standing in the dark house. It was lit only by a pale gleam from a candle, which was inside an orb of blue glass, causing the entire room to seem blue. They were in a somber mood already, and it was only worsened by the mood of the building.

"Would you like to have a lesson?"

"Yes. Please. I have some money, if you want..." Mario began to reach into his pocket, but Merlon stopped him by raising a hand in protest.

"No, no, I don't want any of that. You deserve a million lessons in magic to repay you for the millions of deeds you have done the Mushroom Kingdom. I will gladly teach you. Please, have a seat."

Mario was the first to sit on a nice rug in the lone, round room, followed by Luigi who sat next to him. He nervously began to stroke his mustache as he watched Merlon, wondering what this would be like.

"As you may know, there are two kinds of magic in this world... light magic, and dark magic. One who weilds the power of the Light cannot use Dark magic. This does not mean that those who weild the Light magic cannot make mistakes- no one is perfect. But magic is governed by the user's choices. Once it sees you as a follower of Light it will never abandon that Light within you. You cannot use Dark magic, and this is a good thing.

"Dark magic is a demented form of light magic. In the beginning of time, as the world came into existence, all magic was light. That is, all magic, until it was seized by a being who had an evil heart. He began to teach his friends what darkness was, and they embraced it, not knowing that darkness is a curse, not an aid. Thus it began to spread, and evil has since been prevalent.

"Everyone is born into this world as a wielder of darkness... but by their actions, and their heart, they can become a user of light, and be forever saved from the darkness that lurks in the world. Sadly, many people are beginning to forget what magic is, but that does not mean they are not a follower of the Light.

"You two are users of the Light. But you must be trained, you must learn how to use your gifts and bring your talents to new heights. Now, then, is there a question?"

"Yes..." Luigi spoke, "how strong is Light Magic?"

"Much stronger then Dark Magic, MUCH stronger. Dark and Light magic are not exact opposite forces. Darkness is just a demented, twisted version of Light, a much weaker version. But, they can still prevail over the Light, if the Light gives up hope and courage.

"Now, if you truly want to learn magic to its fullest, you must first learn how exactly it is used. Everyone is different. Mario, what have you found about your powers?"

Mario thought for a moment, then spoke, "When I use magic... my body heat is exchanged for a fireball in my hands... I become cold, but I can create a fireball..."

"Yes, this is basic projectile magic. Your light magic is superior to darkness. Now, how about you, Luigi?"

"I become a bit more tired and exhausted... but I can form a lightning bolt." He said.

"So, you exchange physical energy for projectile energy. Interesting..." The old man thought for a moment, then said, "there are other types of magic, types that may not work this way. Did you know that there is a place in our world that is overflowing with magic? It may be easier for me to teach you if we travel there."

"What are those 'other things'?" Mario asked.

"Specifically, Illusion, Alteration, and Healing. Did you know that magic is an actual physical thing? There is not much separating magic from science. It is an actual physical matter, built of atoms. However, it is something separate from science as well. It cannot be studied or tested, because each person handles it differently.

"Magic is more abundant in other regions of the world. Specifically, there is a region in the Mushroom Kingdom called Starfall Peaks, beyond the western ocean. If we go there it will be much easier for you to learn the magic secrets I have been granted with, and you will advance much faster. Time is of the essence if Bowser is making any moves."

Luigi blinked. "Did you just say, beyond an ocean...? Why can't we just go to Shooting Star Summit? Its not far at all from the castle..."

"Because," Merlon spoke, "you may think a place like that would be flowing with magic, but it isn't as abundant as the Starfall Peaks mainly because it doesn't get very many tourists! And also, I blame my sister for using the magic in that area for her little games. It replenishes over time, but I would much rather go to an untouched facility of magic. Why, Luigi, are you afraid of water?"

Luigi blushed, "not particularly... I'm just, you know... nevermind."

Mario slapped his forehead. "Come on, Luigi! Would you rather learn magic then stay home? We need to know this stuff. Bowser could be making a move any minute now and we need to be prepared!"

Luigi nodded. "Yeah, you're right... so when do we leave, Merlon?"

"As soon as you're ready." Replied the old man, "you'll need to learn these secrets. You are beyond capable. Not very many people can handle magic as you two can. You're very special."

Luigi thanked him, too modest to say much anything else, and too dreadful of his future to think much about it. He **hated** boats, but at least the Western Sea wasn't as vast as the Shiver Sea. He was also dreading his life beyond that moment. Would he have any time to bond with his wife?

I hope this new threat passes soon...

Thinking about the subjects made him depressed, and he glanced at the ground, hoping for comfort. Yet, his brother did not notice his inward sufferings, and he was left to dwell in silence.


	8. Preparations

A/N: Another short chapter... this is because I've started a Chrono Cross fic.

Don't get me wrong. I love Mario. Much more then Chorno Cross. But, I want to see how many other people out there are interested in Guile and Magus even if the Chrono Series is so old. I'm gonna try my luck.

CHAPTER EIGHT: PREPERATIONS

"Why are you packing up, Luigi?" Jennie asked as she entered the room, only to find her husband, clad in his usual attire, filling up a suitcase full of necessities.

"Oh. Mario and I are going on a little journey." Luigi replied. "Merlon is going to take us to some mountain across the Western Sea."

Jennie tapped her foot. "And you were going to leave me?"

"I was going to tell you everything," Luigi replied, turning to look her sincerely in her bright eyes. "I don't want you getting hurt, Jennie. It may be dangerous."

"Luigi, I've lived in Growle's citadel most of my life, and I think I can handle a little quest overseas with you and Mario. Please take Peach and I along, will you?"

Luigi thought for a moment. He didn't want Jennie getting hurt, but he decided to himself that it may be best if she would come. _We could still spend time together, even in this new tragedy, _he thought. "Well, okay... you can come on..."

Jennie smiled broadly. "Thanks." She blinked, then said, "hold on... Luigi, you're crossing the sea? Oh, you'll be miserable."

"Yeah, I know... but its worth it."

"Maybe if I tag along I can help you feel better. You know... since I'm your wife and all. You've never been on a boat with a wife, I don't believe."

Luigi chuckled, "no, of course not... you're my first wife, we've been married two years, haven't been cruising since."

Jennie gave him an exxagerated sigh of relief, "wow, I'm glad I'm your first wife... if I wasn't I'd be a little worried there about your morality, Weege!"

The two chuckled, and Luigi beckoned for her. She came to him, and he hugged her gently. "You will always be the one I love, Jennie... from now and forever more..." his grip loosend slightly, and a look of nostalgia entered his eyes. "You weren't the first one I loved, though."

"Well, everyone's had their childhood crushes." Jennie replied. "Who was it?"

"Her name was Daisy. She moved away when I was twenty-six. But I can let that go. A choice in the past changes the future, you know, and if I stayed with her, I would've never met you." He smiled. "You bring meaning back into my life, Jennie..."

Sadness filled her eyes. "You mean... your life had no meaning up until our marriage?"

Luigi sighed. "Well... I knew I was needed in the Mushroom Kingdom as a protector, but... I've been constantly depressed. My parents are both dead. I found the truth to that a few days ago actually... yet Mario has yet to tell me how they died. And, with all this drama about my life of crushed dreams and futures, its hard not to be depressed, you know?"

Jennie nodded. "I can see that."

"I've lost so much, and hated evil. Yet, hating evil... that makes you almost as bad as they are."

"You're saying you should... love evil?"

"No! No, we shouldn't love _evil_, but we should love those who have been subdued by it, and believe in redemption for them. I've struggled with that... yet I've seen the evil redeemed because we were persistent. Mario and I, that is."

"I can see that." Jennie sighed. "You believed in Aeolian. And the result... the saved Dragon Kingdom." Jennie smiled. "And yet... there is still evil here... will it ever go away?"

"Yes. It will. Eventually this world will be saved."

"By who?"

"Not one person. All of the good people in the world will some day be able to redeem all the evil. I don't know when that time comes, but... we should continue to know that good is stronger then evil. Even if they try to trick us into believing the opposite, we have to stand firm."

Jennie chuckled, and Luigi seemed puzzled. "What's so funny?"

"I'm not laughing at humor... I'm laughing with joy." She grinned. "Its just comforting to know that those who are of the Light have so much more power, and evil is so afraid of that that they've resorted to lying to us, to try to get us to believe the opposite."

Luigi nodded, and said, "yes... yes, you're exactly right..." He sighed, then as his mind began to drift again, he remembered where he would be going tomorrow, and he cringed. A voyage. He was getting seasick just thinking about it.


	9. The Western Sea

CHAPTER NINE: THE WESTERN SEA

It took some convincing, but Mario was able to drag Luigi out of the house on the day of the voyage. Sheer will moved Luigi's legs, though every atom in his body was screaming against it. If Jennie had not been following him, he might have been so difficult that Mario would've had to carry him.

Boats.

Luigi hated them more then Bowser, and felt no remorse, for they were not living things. To him, they were torture machines. How could he not hate them?

As Mario, Peach, Luigi, and Jennie reached the docks, they saw Merlon there, and also, a familiar face.

"Old Captain Briney!" Mario's expression lit up. "How goes the sea faring these days?"

The old Toad, who was aged beyond what Mario could tell, lifted his head and smiled. "Ah, I believe I'm getting to old for my job... I won't be the one taking you across the ocean, but it was nice running into you all."

The information was depressing- the captain practically lived for the sea, and to be parted with it was like the death of a wife for him. Yet, age held him back.

"I'm sorry to hear that, captain." Mario breathed.

"Oh, its fine. I'd rather live the rest of my life on land now. I've explored the sea to every nook and cranny..."

They watched the old man hobble across the pier that he was standing on, leaning heavily on a wooden staff. He vanished out of the docks, without waiting for a reply from the group. He seemed uncharacteristically somber.

"So, who's gonna be our captain?" Peach wondered, and as she waited for a reply, Merlon pointed to a small, sturdy craft nearby. "It belongs to a Goomba explorer named Sherlwen. He's quite full of himself, so, try to get used to him. Its not a long journey, but he may make it seem that way." Merlon chuckled to himself.

"So... when do we go aboard?" Jennie wondered.

"Right now, when we're ready. Just, prepare yourself for long, dull conversations with Sherlwen."

Luigi grimaced. "I'm preparing myself for a long, agonizing, miserable, perplexing, dreadful-"

Jennie cut him off. "It won't be so bad Luigi. I'll be with you through this."

Sighing, he was the last to board the craft as he watched his friends climb up as well. The boat swayed gently, causing Luigi to stagger. Jennie grabbed his arm and steadied him, and for some reason, he didn't feel as sick as he thought he would when he was being balanced.

"All aboard, are we, now?"

There was a tiny Goomba dressed flamboyantly, smiling up at them with a toothy grin. Like most Goombas, he had bushy eyebrows, a stout frame, and two teeth from his lower jaw protruding from his lip. He could only be described as a little brown mushroom, with tiny legs and no arms. "Name's Sherlwen. Of course. You've undoubetbly heard of me before, right, did'cha?"

Mario grimaced and shook his head. "Nope. Never heard of you."

"Whaaat!?" Sherlwen seemed flabbergasted, and he hesitated, huffing under his breath, inhaling deeply. "I'm a famous great explorer, who sails the seven seas, searching for treasure and glory... my life can only be described as the most brilliant adventure the world has ever told! It all started when..."

Mario hated sitting through long conversations, and was normally bored out of his mind when faced with a situation like it, and he prompltly fell asleep, standing.

Luigi never understood how in the world he managed to do it- Mario had done it countless times, sleeping while standing. It never ceased to amaze him.

As he blabbered, Sherlwen began to lead the boat onward across the sea, his eyes focused on the horizon. When he would hesitate in his conversation, Merlon would jump in and give him some advice. The salty wind swayed Merlon's cloak, giving him a mysterious and enigmatic appearance.

"So, how are you feeling, Luigi?" Jennie spoke, breaking Luigi from his thoughts.

"A little dizzy, but... not as bad as I thought." He smiled weakly.

"Are you telling me the truth?" Jennie raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I'm really dizzy. But I think I can make it..." he seemed a little green under the eyes, and he seemed a little unsteady.

"Why don't you sit down? I'll make you some ginger tea if they have a good kitchen here. Boat's a bit small, but they have to have some sort of stove..."

Before he could protest, wanting his wife not to work, she left to search the boat. She seemed to anticipate him- he didn't like to be a burden, and cause other people to work for his benefit. Somehow, it made him feel opressive, and it was the last thing he wanted his wife to feel. And yet, he also knew that she loved him deeply, and would do anything to keep him well. It made him feel comforted.

As time passed, he was feeling even sicker. He tried to divert his attention by listening to Mario and Peach's conversations, for Mario had woken up and walked away from the blabbering Sherlwen, but Luigi couldn't get his mind off the swaying.

Before Jennie made it back, he was already gagging over the railing, much to the disappointment of Jennie when she made it back to him with a canteen of would-be helpful liquid.

"Oh, I was too late, wasn't I?" She asked with a sigh.

"Uh-huh..." Luigi moaned softly.

"Sorry. I had trouble getting the stove started."

"Hm..." Luigi gave a hum of response, feeling too unwell to give her any words.

Jennie rubbed his back gently, not really knowing what to say. It wouldn't last long, and soon they'd be on the island. She was wondering what kinds of things they had in store for them, and if there would be any monsters to attack her husband and in-laws. If there would be danger, she would be there for them, no matter the peril.

Yet, she had no idea just how much peril there would be...

- - -

"That's right, good! Focus that dark energy! Unleash your anger! What do you hate most?"

Kamek paced, watching the students, pleased at their efforts. All of them seemed intent on destroying everything- intent on learning the secrets. "Soon, you all will have come equal to my own knowledge, and then, we will have to learn elsewhere.

Bowser, who was in the room at the time, stood watching the group of students with a half smile, half grimace.

"Are you pleased, lord Bowser?"

Bowser scratched his chin, thinking. "They seem to have promise... but they're nowhere near as strong as me yet."

Kamek chuckled to himself, then adjusted his spectacles and said, "I've been working them hard, and haven't been getting too much complaining. Soon, we will have this world conquered as we alter the very moon itself. We'll have forged a new, true dominion over this land and all its people. Not even the Mario Brothers and their allies can stop us."

"I wouldn't be so sure..." Said an enigmatic voice from Aroz, the gray one. "You shouldn' underestimate them, Kamek."

"Shut up! Who's the teacher here!?"

"I'm the oldest out of all these dragons." Aroz retaliated. "I believe I have enough wisdom to know that our opponents should not, by any means, be underestimated. They are the mario brothers- gifted with light magic. We must be extra careful... and use the powers of deceit.

Kamek blinked. "Wait. What did you say?"

"The powers of deceit is what he said, duh!" Jumped in the hyperactive purple dragon Entao.

"Ah! I can't believe I forgot about the fourth element!" Kamek snapped. "Behind Alteration is the power of Deceit- the secret weapon of darkness! If we can force the Light under the right influence... we can drain their power! The Magic School of Deceit!"


	10. Flash of Blue

A/N: Sorry, readers, for lack of updates in all of my crap. I've just not been in one of those writers moods, and when I am, I'm nowhere near my PC. I just get these blank, emotionless moods and can't quite get anything down.. I'm still in a block but hopefully I can get something decent down this time around.

CHAPTER TEN: FLASH OF BLUE

Luigi stepped onto the shore, supported on both sides by Mario and Jennie, with Peach following behind, along with Merlon and, to their agony, Sherlwen, who wanted to explore the region while they were about.

"So, are you better yet?" Mario asked his brother, who was still a bit pale.

Luigi nodded. "Yeah, you can let me go now..."  
Now freed from their support, he teetered slowly, but regained his footing and exhaled nervously. What kind of journey was ahead of them? Whatever it was, he hoped he and his friends were capable of handling it.

_Here I go, looking on the dark side of things... of course we'll pull through. We're the Mario Brothers.._. yet, even that thought in Luigi's mind was half-hearted. He continued to doubt himself even as he examined himself and his gifts. Fearful of his future, he began to dread injury, and mostly death.

_If I am parted from my wife in any way... then it will be the most miserable thing on the planet, for either of us..._  
"Hurry along, now."

Merlon had assumed position as leader, and now, Mario, Luigi, Peach, Jennie, and Sherlwen were following behind them.

"How about an old tale to pass time?" Asked the Goomba, and he received a moan from Mario in reply.

"I'm not quite sleepy yet," Mario breathed.

"Oh, bah, you old chums have no appreciation for exploration," Sherlwen mumbled, then said triumphantly, "it began- a storm seized our craft, and I found myself face-to-face with a Fire Hydra- yes, in the middle of the water. You may think of it odd for such a beast to appear, but I was..."

Luigi had lost interest, and his mind went elsewhere. As he was thinking about future, and what future may not exist should he make one mistake, something happened that jerked him from his inner thoughts, and a flash of blue entered his vision and vanished a split second later.

"What was that!?" Peach gasped, a hand over her chest as though she had been slapped.

"I'm not sure... it went too fast for me to see..." Merlon breathed, leaning heavily on his staff, as though he thought of it to be a security blanket. "Be careful... this may be a stalker!"  
"Don't worry, no stalker is gonna penetrate us while I'm around!" Sherlwen grinned. "I've got a head stronger then iron!"  
Suddenly, the flash of blue appeared again, and Sherlwen shouted in surprise. A split second later, he was gone, and everyone turned, trying to register what had happened.

"Looking for me?" It was a soft voice coming from a tree.

Looking up, Luigi saw the strangest thing he ever laid his eyes on.

He saw a creature hanging upside-down from its tail. It had blue fur, and was completely covered with it. The only part of it that Luigi couldn't see fur on was its large, black eyes. It had Sherlwen in a tight grip, holding it by its dexterous fingers on its long arms.

"Put me down, savage!" Sherlwen struggled, but was unable to break free from the creature's grip.

"What are you doing on my island?" It had an enigmatic voice, low-pitched, yet something in it told Luigi that it was a girl.

"We're here to use Magic, creature." Merlon said, tilting his head back so he could see the creature.

It flipped in midair and landed right next to Merlon, still holding Sherlwen, and it stared into his eyes.

"The magic here is deep and powerful. Only those worthy can train here... this is my home, and home to those like me."

"What are you...?" Merlon narrowed his eyes.

"Does it matter? I'm a creature, living and breathing, just like you. Doesn't matter my race, does it?"

The creature put down Sherlwen, who promplty turned and threatened to jump on the creature with his head, but Merlon grabbed him. "Don't!"

Luigi and Mario braced themselves, unsure if the creature was a threat or friendly. Mario then spoke, "can you tell us what exactly you want? Why won't you let us on our way? We need to get to a certain mountain where magic is abundant."

"You're tresspassing," sighed the creature, "and this is our island. Not yours. We only let those who are noble use our magic... only those who use Light!"

"We are followers of the Light," Mario said, beginning to loosen his posture.

"Then you must prove it to our cheiftain, Orange."

"His name is Orange...?" Luigi wondered aloud.

"Got a problem with it?" The blue creature replied, placing its hands on its hip. "Well, if you truly want to use our magic, you'll have to come see Orange."

"What's your name?" Peach inquired, tapping her chin with thought.

"Frizzle..." replied the creature nonchalantly.

"Well, Frizzle, we are interested in using the magic here, but I wouldn't call it _yours_." Merlon said. "But, if we must go through you to get it, then we shall. Take us to see Orange."


	11. The Enigmatic Duo

A/N: Auuugh, short, short, short! Sorry, everyone... I just can't manage to write out a LONG chapter... oh well, I'll try next time.  
Oh, and if you're wanting updates in my other stories, sorry, I don't think I can manage it at the moment, but I'm not putting them down forever! I'll just work on one story at a time for now, because my life just got a lot crazier, sorry... :/ That's what I get for starting so many stories at once.

CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE ENIGMATIC DUO

Raising his head to see the mountains, Luigi placed a gloved hand upon his cap to keep it from falling off. Mid-afternoon sunshine bled through the leaves of the great trees overhead, and it was hard for Luigi to see through them to the mountains. But, what he could see in the distance, was beautiful.

The mountains appeared to be flowing with life, and the looked almost like something from Eastern paintings.

"Nice, ain't they?" Hummed Frizzle as she walked in front of them. Luigi blinked.

"Ah... how'd you know I was-"

Frizzle cut him off. "Well, its obvious you were looking at the mountains. How could you not be?"

Luigi was still puzzled. Frizzle was leading them, and from what he knew, she didn't turn to look at him. _How did she...? _

He shook his head. _Probably... nothing... _He dismissed the question, not wanting to wrap his mind around it.

"Well, we're almost here." Frizzle had broken a silence that crept into the group. "Our village."

Frizzle suddenly stopped and spread her furry arms out. "Behold... the capital city of Star's Reach!"

To Luigi, it seemed anticlimactic. He didn't see any houses, or people. However, as he glanced around the area searching for any sign of civilization, he noticed, that the houses were upon the trees. There were staircases made out of the tree's branches, not cut, but growing out of the tree. It was as if the creatures told the trees how to grow, so they could live among them.

"Do you... speak to the trees?" Mario asked as he soon caught on to how the village was formed.

"No, they grow according to our needs. They're our guardians. They're filled with magic."

"Are they light, or dark?"

"The trees here are light... but our rivals on this island have dark trees in their presence."

Peach couldn't help but chuckle. "Tree-people? I've never heard of that..."

"They ain't people, they're trees. They just are smart trees." Frizzle replied, then lifted her head and cried, "We have visitors!"

Slowly, coming out from among the treetops, crawling out of holes like squirrels, staring at the group mysteriously with large eyes, were many of Frizzle's people. None of them were the same color or stature. Yet, all of them had the same mood- curiosity, and skepticism.

"They ain't mean, are they?" A small creature came up near Jennie, yet stayed out of her arm's reach.

"Nah, from what I've seen..." Frizzle spoke. "Is Orange here?"  
The creatures then stepped back and made a pathway. In the middle of them stood a decorated old creature, wearing a coat of purple fur. Luigi blinked. _His name is Orange... why...? _However, his thought was soon quickly answered as Orange whipped his hand out at his side, and opened a sack which he wore, and produced from it an orange. He peeled it and began munching quietly as he hobbled up to Mario.

"Whoooo... are you?" He blinked, cocking his head and standing over Mario, examining him closely while chewing on his fruit.

"I... Mario... My name is Mario, sir."

"Do you not have a surname?" Orange began to lift Mario's arm with his free hand, for his other hand was holding his orange. His free hand then began to move across Mario's body as the creature curiously studied his attire. Mario felt more than awkward.

"I... um... have no surname, sir."

"And why is that, hmmm?"

"Uh..." It was not a matter he wanted to discuss, especially to a creature who could not mind personal space.

"What is it you want with us?" Luigi asked, feeling almost as embarrassed as his brother was.

Orange finally stepped back and took another bite of his fruit, dropping the peelings to the ground. "I thinnnnnk..." His voice trailed, "mmh..." Scratching his chin, he then snapped. "Aaaah. Yes."

The group was confused. However, the creatures around them began excitedly exchanging glances with grins.

"You... will help us... and by that, we help you." Orange said. "You may be wondering what I mean by this. Of course. You are weak-minded humans."

"Weak-minded!?" Jennie said emphatically in a voice like a sarcastic chuckle. "I'm sorry, sir, but the human race is-"

"-Silence!" Orange raised a purple paw in the air. "I do not want to argue. Our race is one with the trees of Light, therefore, we Tree-people can see much in these forests. We have seen things humans cannot.

"I... admit..." his voice trailed once more as he took yet another orange from his sack, "...that we too have not seen things you have. But we know this island more than any being that walks this planet, and we know that the mountain and the magic you seek is heavily guarded... by the Dark Tree-People..."

Luigi was now listening intently. The creature he first thought to be mad, was actually a very wise thing. He was going to tell them their ordeal, and he was going to listen.

"The Dark Tree-People are at war with us. They want to conquer this island and kill anyone who attempts to use the magic on the mountain. Your arrival has told me that you are strong enough to help us. For while we have the knowledge of the forest, you have the knowledge of true combat. You have taken down things as large as a colossus, you have beaten down creatures much stronger then yourself, and you harness destructive Light Magic with justice and mercy, yet power beyond evil's might. If you help us by destroying the Dark Tree-People, we can assist you by getting to the mountain."

Mario, Luigi, Peach, Merlon, Sherlwen and Jennie exchanged glances, their jaws dropped. Mario then realized that what the creature was doing, was looking at his inner battle-scars- he was evaluating just how strong he was.

_How did he...?_  
The mysteries would have to wait. Now, Luigi had to deal with the matter at hand.

"Sir Orange, we will assist you if it is the only way to reach the mountain. Give us directions, and we will help you in this war."

"Good, good..." Orange said between chews. "I will send you all with my best warriors, Frizzle and Jacques. "Now listen. The dark tree-people have built a wall around the mountain, they're using all the magic there for themselves. It'll be hard, but what I need you to do is to force them to surrender. It will take us countless days to defeat them all, but if we force them to surrender the mountain to free use, then you can use it and render us in a nation of peace against the dark ones.

"To do this, you all must take a strategic advantage... you must destroy their resources. When they have nothing left they will come to us, at first to fight. But we will be prepared. Soon they will be forced to trade the mountain for food. Then, we will be in agreement once more.

"Now, do you wish to do this? Do you wish to carry out this plan?"

Mario, the voice for his group, said, "yessir... when do we set out?"

"As soon as you're ready."

Frizzle came up to Mario, followed by a smaller, green Tree-person named Jacques. Both of them had their arms crossed as if they were waiting for Mario to say something.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. Are we ready?"

Mario nodded. "Let's do this."


	12. Storming Darkness

A/N: Man, I was reading through some of LD1, and dang, I make SO MANY grammar errors in it, it makes me cringe! I'm gonna go rework some of it soon, when I get the chance, but lately some recent events in my life have made writing fanfics so much harder to work in.

**Also, I got a new idea after I wrote the previous chapter, so don't go "Huh?" when you read this. Ill rewrite the previous chapter when I have time. THE BATTLE PLAN, AND HOW THESE TREE PEOPLE ARE KILLED HAVE BEEN CHANGED!**

CHAPTER TWELVE: STORMING DARKNESS

Frizzle, a small, young otter-looking animal with fur as blue as the sky, led Mario and company through a forest of thick, tall trees which seemed to touch the soft clouds. Marveling at the strange sights on this island, Luigi began to wonder why he had never heard of it before. Then again, he recalled how the world treated magic- a secret. Perhaps this island was a secret?

Looking down at the smaller green creature following Frizzle, Luigi noticed that Jacques seemed a little on edge, as though he was sensing something.

"Jacques? Its Jacques right?"

"Mmhmm." The green creature glanced over at Luigi without moving his head. "What?"

"Is something wrong?" He asked as he walked under the trees, looking at Jacques curiously.

"The trees are seeing some movement in the southern section of the woods..." Spoke the tree-person, twitching his whiskers. "But there's nothing we can do about that right now. How's the west looking, Frizzle?"

The blue one blinked, "the west is fine."

"What, are you assigned to different trees or something?" Mario asked, smirking behind his mustache.

"Yes," Frizzle sighed, "we are linked to the trees we have been assigned to oversee."

This race of people was entirely new to the bunch, and Luigi found it best not to question their customs too much, for fear of either offending them or confusing himself too much. He would much rather focus at the task at hand, finding there to be no other option to the mountain then to help these people.

The conversations in the group were so blunt that Luigi found it hard to pay attention to his friends who were speaking almost idly to one another. (Sherlwen the Goomba as usual, was running his mouth, but Luigi's mind had come accustomed to ignoring his voice in general, passing him off as mere background noise as one would to birds or wind rustling to trees.) However, when he heard Peach address Jennie, he perked.

"Jennie, if you don't mind me asking..."

"Well, depends on what it is." Replied Jennie with a smirk.

"I don't think you'd mind, but if you do, just don't respond... but... do you remember any of your childhood before you were kidnapped by Growle?"

Jennie hesitated. "Well, anything I remember," she began, a contemplative look in her eyes, "its very vague, and I couldn't remember anything about this world. But what I was able to grasp, was... pleasant. I would run around, touch things I wasn't supposed to, break things, you know, like any toddler would do" she began to giggle as she spoke, but then, the mood swiftly changed, and a faraway look entered her eyes. "But those small flicks of my childhood... vanished... when Growle entered my life."

Luigi was saddened by this, and just as he was about to throw in a comment of encouragement, Mario jumped in and lightheartedly said, "speaking of touching things, did you know Luigi thought his name was 'Don't Touch That' until he was three?"

There was a light exchange of laughter amongst them, even Frizzle and Jacques managed a chuckle, only causing Luigi to blush and tip his cap downwards to cover his eyes.

"So, who are you guys's parents, anyway?" Asked Frizzle as she jumped over a large rock which was positioned in her path nimbly.

Mario's expression went cold. "It doesn't matter."

Luigi was once again confused. Why did he deny their parents' existence? Why did he treat the past like so? Luigi wanted to know so badly why Mario was so sensitive to the subject. It effected Mario in such a way that despite his jolly nature, he became almost cold and heartless when the subject was brought to mind.

Luigi cringed. What could've possibly happened that would transform Mario so? In just one sentence, Mario had become the opposite of what he should be.

_I wonder if-_

His voice was cut off and replaced by a gasp of surprise. Something collided with his body through the trees, and before he knew it, he hit the ground with a thud, knocking his breath out of him. Gasping pathetically and clutching his ribcage, Luigi scrambled to his feet as he heard his friends about him shout with surprise.

"We're under attack!" Mario drew a hammer from his belt.

Standing nearby was a creature that looked vaguely like Frizzle, with a furry, slender body and an otterlike frame. However, this one had horns, and its fur was as black as night, and its eyes as red as blood. Its teeth, pointed, protruded from its lip.

"Luigi, are you alright?"

He nodded as he tried to fill his lungs with air, gasping.

"Frizzle, help us!" Mario shouted to the creature, who was beginning to sneak away into the thicket. "Where are you going?!"

"We can't fight, do we look like the warrior type to you?!" Mario thought the creature's response was a very lame excuse.Sherlwen suddenly stammered, "w... wait for me, miss Frizzle!" And with that, he followed her to hide nearby.

"Help us! You've attacked us before!"

"No, Mario! You fight it!"

The enemy Tree-person was not waiting for them to resolve their argument- he shot straight for Peach, fangs bared.

Mario placed himself between her and the beast and raised his hammer, then sent a smash into it, slamming his hammer into its body as a lumberjack would a tree. And just as his hammer collided with it, a tree nearby shook, as though he had hit both the beast and the tree with one smash.

"Mario- our weak point – is the trees..." Jacques yelled, hiding nearby. "We can't fight because if we do, the enemy will figure out which tree is ours... and we'll die if they cut it down."

"What?" Mario yelled, momentarily distracted, and receiving a cut across the chest from the creature's claws.

"You can't kill us by any weapon- you have to cut down the tree, that's the only way to kill a tree-person! If a tree-person is hit, their tree shakes, and then, the enemy can kill us!"

"A grudge match," Luigi muttered, gaining his breath and grabbing his hammer. "Why do they go after individual people if they can just cut down any tree?"

"Because they're afraid of cutting down an ally's tree!" Jacques shouted. "Now enough of this- finish him off! Cut down HIS tree!"

"With what!?" Mario cried, then hesitated. Fire. His Projectile magic was fire. And, though he couldn't use the magic on the mountain, because he couldn't get to it, he could still use the magic nearby which flowed through the planet. Cupping his hands, he then began to form a fireball out of nowhere.

The beast, noticing his plan, ran for him, attempting to knock him down so his fireball would cease to exist, but Mario tossed it over to Luigi.

"Hit that with your hammer!"

Luigi knew what his brother meant to do, and Luigi readied his hammer and smashed it into the fireball, aiming for the creature's tree, which had shook when Mario's hammer hit it. The fireball was enough to set the top of the tree on fire.

As soon as the fire on the tree was ignited, the beast screeched, and it appeared as though his fur was being singed. It dropped to the ground, screaming in agony as the fire continued to make its way down the tree.

"Can you control that fire, Mario?" Luigi asked. "We don't' want that getting out of hand."

"I think so." Mario replied, and ran for the tree. He spread out his arms, but with so much fire on the tree it was hard for him to control, and he had no idea how to harness so much energy.

"Mario! Dont' think about the fire- think about the magic that contains it!" Merlon shouted. "Imagine you're controlling a pile of sand, and shifting it in your fingers!"

Mario closed his eyes and began to concentrate. Slowly but surely, he was beginning to control the fire that had already begun to destroy the tree. By now, the creature was dead. Mario soon had a supersized fireball floating nearby- he had retrieved it from the tree and prevented a forestfire.

"Now, Mario, you can get rid of that the same way you made it, but opposite. Release the magic into the air. Good... good..."

As Merlon was overseeing Mario's work, Mario had successfully followed his orders and returned his weapon to the world.

"Wow... I didn't even know I could do that," Mario said with a half smile, half grimace. "Well... that was interesting... is this the only way to kill the enemies? Is there not a peaceful solution?"

"No," Sighed Jacques, standing up from his hiding place. "There isn't. The best we can do is force them to surrender. We need to destroy their stockpile of recourses and force them out. It'll take forever for us to kill them all, and it would be best if they attack us and eventually surrender. We have the upper hand here."


	13. Making History

A/N: Fixed the battle plan in the last chapter. Hope I didn't confuse you too much.

Yes I purposely made somewhat of a connection between the treepeople and their trees and the Dragons and their stars. Just keep reading and you'll find out more.

Yay, a longer chapter, finally! And an update!

I blame Brawl. Its such an amazing game. I have so many hilarious screenshots that I got out of the blue, it was so funny. I have: Mario piggybacking Luigi, Wario eating Luigi, Luigi and Mario hangin' out, Luigi stepping on Lucario's head "innocently", and others that I forgot at the moment. I'll have to upload them sometime soon.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: MAKING HISTORY

Hiding in the shadows of the underbrush, the small group was careful not to be spotted. Soon, they had at last found them- the enemy base. "There they are... the enemy base." Frizzle pointed to a heavily guarded tree, "and that is where we're headed."

Noticing how tight the security was about the place, Luigi hesitated. "How are we ever going to get in?" He and his friends were on their bellies, hiding underneath nearby ferns. He had scratched himself countless times as he had scrambled against the undergrowth, and he hated it.

_The things I do for being a hero_, he sighed. _Why can't I just have a normal life?_

"Dunno," Jacques finally answered, "aren't you guys supposed to be warriors? If stealth can't get us in, brute force might."

Mario examined the Dark Tree-People's constructions. They were crude forts built among the trees without using live wood, they had probably harvested the wood to build their homes from enemy trees.

He began to think of any sort of strategy that would win he and his friends into the building without violence. He watched the creatures who paced among the trees while holding their spears, dressed sparsely in leaves.

"What now?"

"There has to be a way to sneak into that building." Mario said. "So we're looking for their resources?"

"Yeah."

"We'll need to examine the area and try to find a break in their defenses. Perhaps we may find a window or something. There has to be some disadvantage, we just need to look for it."

Luigi almost immediately pointed. "Look! There's an opening up in the top of the tree for ventilation. There's smoke coming from it."

It was true- there was a small hole which seemed just big enough for Mario to squeeze into at the top of the biggest tree in the village- and smoke was rising from it.

"They've built a fire in a tree...?" Mario seemed confused. But, he shook his head, knowing that he needed to rest his thoughts about more important things. As he focused on the ventilation shaft, an idea came to his mind.

"We're never going to get past that security guarding the tree. They'll see us if we move through the canopy." He stated, "but, I think we need to split up and see if this will work. Luigi, Frizzle, and Jacques should go and see if they can find a way to get in the shaft through the canopy. Peach, Jennie, Merlon and I will sneak around back and see if there's any other way to get in, and we'll meet up with you around there."

"What?" Luigi asked. "Why does Jennie go with you?"

"Do you really want her jumping down that shaft? You and the tree people are a lot more nimble then I am, and I don't think the girls would want to do that, now do you?"

Mario was right, and Luigi was skinnier and more nimble than Mario, but to be seperated from Jennie...

_I trust Mario can take care of her..._

"Hey, what about me?" Sherlwen asked.

"Oh." Mario blinked. "What should we use him for?"

"Let's use him for a distraction!" Jacques smirked. "Throw him in there and have him stir up some ruckus among the guards."

Sherlwen gasped and ducked behind a bush. "No! Don't do that to old Sherlwen!" He moaned.

"It might actually work. You goombas are fast, aren't you?" Jennie asked. "I mean, for a creature that can only walk, shouldn't you be fantastic runners?"

"Well, I don't mean to brag, but..." Sherlwen started, and Jennie snapped her fingers, interrupting him.

"Its settled then. I like this plan, Mario, it might work. But what happens if we find an alternative of getting inside?"

"Then we'll take it and see if we can meet up with the other group from inside. But if we can't we'll just take the vent." Mario replied with determination. "Alright, are we ready?"

Luigi nervously nodded, adjusting his green cap. "Ready when you are, I guess..."

Concealed by the shadows of the strange trees and their leaves, Luigi, Frizzle, and Jacques began to make a steady ascent up the tree's limbs, which were growing together close enough for them to jump from tree to tree with ease and stealth. Meanwhile, Mario and his group began sticking low, and walking around the enemy base.

"You have to be very careful not to rattle the limbs..." Jacques said.

"Of course, the leaves'll fall on them..." Luigi said, looking down with fear. He didn't like heights.

"No... they'll _feel_ us..." Spoke Frizzle in a voice close to a whisper. "Like little ants on their arms..."

Luigi shuddered.

He continued his way slowly- and carefully- to avoid shaking the tree. He couldn't allow his slippery mind to drift- all of his attention was focused on the vent which was coming steadily closer and closer to the treebound travelers.

"There, we're here!" Frizzle whispered, looking down. "We have to wait for Sherlwen to make his move... come on, you goomba..." she spoke, knowing he couldn't hear her.

Looking down, Frizzle caught sight of him- the overdressed, brown-skinned creature had shakily stepped in the center of the enemy base. She heard him say, "hello... lovely weather don't you say?"

The enemies, as she expected, saw him and began to slowly stalk forward, licking their lips.

"Now!"

It was Jacques who spoke, and he was the first to leap into the gaping hole beneath them, the hole which breathed a deep, smoky fume. Luigi held his breath, and followed, with Frizzle behind him.

The deep smoke forced him to shut his eyes, so he had to rely on his senses. He felt something sharp scrape up against his arm, then, he hit a wall. The shocking impact left a throb in his nose, and before he knew it, his back slammed against another unexpected wall. Forcing his eyes open, he could feel his lungs begin to burst as he surveyed the shaft, which was just thin enough for him to fall through with few space.

He gasped and began choking as the smoke entered his throat, yet he continued to descend, trying to avoid running into the occasional bump in the natural architecture as he fell.

"There's fire below us!" He heard Jacques scream. "Luigi! Have any ideas!?"

His heart pounding in his chest, Luigi began to search wildly for something- anything- that he could grab onto and support his allies. As he fell, his eye caught sight of something shiny, and without thinking, he thrust a gloved hand forth, feeling magic energy gathering in his fist.

_Zzzap_!

His hand stuck to whatever it was.

In a flash of speed, he whipped out a hand and grabbed Jacques' tail, then soon, Frizzle grabbed on to Jacques' arms when she came by. The weight of both the furry tree-people was now pressed against Luigi's left arm. Moaning, he tried to sustain their weight as he examined the thing he was sticking to.

"Metal!?" He said whilst coughing.

The electricity he generated caused a magnetic reaction- and he had stuck to it.

But why metal in a tree?

"Luigi! Thank the stars- how'd you do that!?" Jacques yelled.

"...no time to explain... we have to get out of here before... we suffocate..."

Searching desperately for a way out, Frizzle pointed. "There's an entrance or something below us... swing us, Luigi!"

There wasn't any time to argue. Swinging his arm and body, he soon gathered enough momentum to send Frizzle and Jacques rolling in midair towards the entrance they spotted. He heard their padded feet land on a solid area.

"You next Luigi! Can you make it on your own?"

Luigi looked down- through he smoke he could see an odd thing- a green fire below him. He could barely see Frizzle's blue-furred hand waving at him through the smoke. After coughing a few times, he shut his eyes, said his prayers, and released the magic in his hand.

Plummeting quickly once more, he reached out a hand blindly, only to let out a sigh of relief as he felt Frizzle's hand grab it and pull him over.

Now out of the smoke, he could breathe. He gasped. He didn't recall ever being as thankful for clean air as he was at that moment, and he breathed it as though it was candy. "Thank... the... stars..." He panted, feeling as though he could kiss the ground.

"Its not over yet. I think this tunnel leads to the major chamber..."

"Wait a second." Luigi interrupted. "Why is there a green fire in this tree? And metal!?"

"I... don't know. These trees... they aren't natural... maybe the magic at the mountain did something to them, made them different from the rest. Kind of like a mutation." Said Jacques, contemplating the matter deeply.

"And this the major tree." Continued Frizzle, "which means... it belongs to their leader. Its probably th eonly one in the village that's this complicated."

"Their leader?"

"We're rooted to our trees. If this is the leader's tree... he must be kind of like it. Metal and fire."

The thought scared Luigi, and he wondered if their captain was about and looking for them. He began to fear for his brother and his wife... were they alright? Have they found a better way into the tree, or a way to benefit the mission?

"So they keep the stockpile of resources inside his tree... why?"

"Well, the thing about the trees is they don't work exactly like a separate being. Its more like our life force. We can keep stuff in the trees for others to get to... but another thing about it is that the chieftain never gets hungry. The food is right here."

"Weird..."

Luigi thought for a moment, resting with the others after the traumatic experience.

"I wonder how Mario is doing?"


	14. Torn

A/N:

Chapter 14. Torn.

Just... get ready for it, alright?

Sorry for the wait. -chanting in steady beat- Brawl, brawl, Patapon. Pata pata pata pon. Brawl, brawl, patapon. Pon, pon, patapon. -ahem- Whoa. Sorry. I guess I've been playing a little too much video games... like Patapon. For the PSP. Get it if you have one- its worth checking out. Its a rhythm based strategy game.

Oh, and its slightly rushed... but this chapter... its a big turnaround.

You should be wondering why the general could get hurt. let me explain that his tree works diferently then the rest of the tree people. It isn't rooted to him in the same way. He and his tree don't share the same physical life force but he looks like it. This'll be explained later.

I know, I know. The tree people thing is REALLY complicated and has plot holes. But this is a late-night fanfiction and I'm tired, so you literary critics... don't let it bother you too much.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: TORN

Despite being nearly overdressed, Peach continued to crawl after her husband through the underbrush, followed by Jennie, who was intent on getting the mission over with and reuniting with Luigi.

Soon, the group had stealthily made their way around the tree, and were now at the back of it. Just as they heard Shelrwen scream for his life, Mario, Merlon, Peach, and Jennie stood up from their cover, feeling as though the threat had passed.

"This tree is unnatural..." The old wizard went up to the tree, placing a calloused hand upon its rough bark. "There must be some other way of getting in other than the shaft. It was a good detour for Luigi to take should something go wrong, but we all need to find a way in there."

"There!" Peach almost immediately pointed. "There's a big rock right there! Can you move it, Mario?"

Sure enough, Peach had caught sight of a large, round stone placed against the tree, concealed with shrubbery and vines. Mario quickly ran to it and brushed off some vines. "No doubt an entrance!" He said. "This might be how the creatures get in... and if I'm right, it should lead right where we want to go! Hopefully Luigi's causing a distraction or something... with a plan like this we'll just have to play by ear."

He placed his hand upon the stone and pushed all his weight into it. The stone soon tumbled aside, revealing a door-sized opening. Mario grinned. "Its perfect! Come on!"

Without a second thought, he dashed inside, followed reluctantly by the three others, who were taking more care in their steps then the straightforward Mario. When they were all safely inside, Mario hesitated to examine his surroundings.

An eerie green glow lit up the thin corridor, revealing strange metal plating against the walls in sparse patches. The group's footsteps echoed through the corridor with deep, resounding thuds. With Mario in the lead, the group of four found their way out of the chamber, dumped into a gigantic cavern.

"This must be the center." Mario said, pointing. "There's a green fire right there! And above- the shaft! I think that's where Luigi came in from."

"But where is he? He didn't fall in there, did he?" Jennie asked, fear building up in her voice.

"Nah, he wouldn't. Look-" Mario pointed, "-there's other doorways up there."

Along the walls of the shaft were many other doorways, all were open.

"Those all must lead into individual limbs of the tree." Merlon spoke, leaning on his staff, a look of curiosity in his deep eyes, which were visible underneath his hood which darkened his enigmatic countenance. "Luigi may have pulled himself in one of those."

"We're looking for the resources, so they may be in one of those doors." Mario said.

"There's so many..." Peach sighed, tapping her chin. "It will take forever just to find the resources, let alone Luigi."

Mario thought for a moment. "Well, we have to start sometime, hon." After contemplating his plan, he turned to Peach, and spoke, "This is where your umbrella will come in handy. You can help us climb up there. Jennie, do you have anything we can use?"

"Well, yes. I do." Jennie proceeded to pull a long ribbon from her pocket. "Its actually very sturdy... I've used it to climb before at Growle's citadel. He used to order me to do very demanding things... such as climb the side of the citadel to retrieve some sort of thing his goons threw up there, just to give Growle the pleasure of sending me after things. I've always kept this ribbon, and its saved me many times."

"Oh, Jennie!" Peach gasped, wanting to hug her friend. "He did that to you?"

She shrugged. "He's done worse..."

Mario took it and examined it. "Yeah, this'll help! Come on, let's go- there's no time to lose!"

"How about I stay down here?" Merlon said. "I'll warn you if anyone is coming, alright?"

"You think you can handle it?" Peach was concerned for the old wizard. She feared he would not be able to handle the mission.

"I'm a wizard! I can handle anything I can put my mind to!"

It was all Peach needed to feel secure that the old man would be alright on his own. She proceeded to follow Mario, who came to the side of the tree and felt among its rough edges and occasional plate of metal.

"Its climbable, but it'll be hard. Peach, ready that umbrella! I don't know how you do it but you can float with that thing, right?"

Peach nodded.

"Think we can, too?"

"Yeah, I think so." She said, taking a portable umbrella from her backpack, which she had strapped fashionably over one shoulder. She readied it, and then said, "so, its for us to hold on to, just in case, right?"

Mario nodded. "yeah. Now Jennie, you think you can make a lasso with that ribbon?"

She was already at work with it. Soon, she had it tied and fashioned into a lasso. Slinging it and aiming skillfully, she tossed it and was able to latch it on a misplaced metal plate. Tugging at it, she nodded. "Its good."

Without another word, they each took part of the ribbon in their hands, placed their feet on the wall, and began climbing, handhold after handhold. Soon, they had come within distance of one of the doorways.

"We can reach that with the umbrella," suggested Mario, "Are you ready, Peach?"

Peach nodded. "Yes, Mario! Everybody, grab on!"

Jennie quickly unlatched her lasso then took part of the handle on Peach's umbrella, Mario doing the same.

It would take some superhuman force to be able to preform such a feat that was preformed by the three that moment, and Mario suspected nothing more then magic was involved in the process- perhaps Peach's umbrella was, and always had been, enchanted. Yet, the situation was too intense for him to give it too much thought, and when his feet were planted into a sturdy ground, he immediately took off down the newly revealed corridor.

"Mario, wait!" Peach called, disassembling the umbrella and putting it away.

"He's going to fast," Jennie sighed.

The two women sped after him. Mario had slowed down, and soon, he had come into another open chamber in the tree limb. He did not know how it got there, or how it looked from the outside, but what he saw in this section was truly remarkable.

"This is amazing," he spoke, "Look!"

The cavern was full of crystals, most of them were shades of green. "Are these resources?" Peach asked, examining a crystal from a distance.

"Maybe... we'll need to destroy them!"

"Mario wait, it could be-"

But, he had acted too quickly. Whipping out a hammer from his belt, Mario smashed it into a crystal, shattering it into shards.

The room shook.

"Mario!" Screamed the women.

The room trembled violently. His entire body shaking, Mario realized what he had done, and he soon felt the presence of something else in the room.

"Who breaks my power!?"

With a bone-rattling bang, something dropped down from the ceiling and landed in front of Mario. It seemed to be some sort of Dark tree-person, with plated armor about his body, and his eyes burning with green fire. It opened its maw and roared, revealing a void filled with green flame.

"Its... the general..." Mario stepped backwards, his face going pale as the color vanished from his skin.

"Mario, be careful!"

"You know those chicks?" The general sneered. He then slammed his tail against the ground, then beat Mario down. "Let's see you all suffer by the hand of one!"

Two cracks shot down the center of the room, seperating Mario, Peach, and Jennie. The general, instead of attacking, leapt out of the room to watch from a safe distance as the room began to split in thirds.

"Mario!" Screamed Peach, feeling the ground beginning to give way.

"Do something!" The same was happening to Jennie.

The tree limb in which they were standing within was beginning to split off in three sections- with Mario in the middle. After rubbing a bloody mark on his side, he realized his predicament and shot his gaze between the two women in his life. He suddenly realized just what had occurred.

He had to chose who to save.

His brother's wife... or his own?

Time was ticking away- the crack was growing wider, the limb shaking more, and Mario's heart beat faster then ever as the hardest decision he could possibly make was thrown at him.

"...L... LUIGI!" He screamed. "I'M SORRY!"

He leapt for Peach, grabbed her, and rolled aside. Then, with another bound that could only have come from a Mario brother, he jumped over a now widened crack and tumbled on safe ground- right next to a very unsafe creature.

He turned to see the section that Jennie was standing in finish cracking, and the limb broke off. Screaming, she fell an impossible height- goodness knows how far.

Tears coursed down Mario's face, Peach was wailing, but finding himself standing near the general, Mario could not stop to mourn. The general was cackling- tears of a different emotion rolling down its metal cheeks.

Mario, with a grief-ridden battle cry, lifted his hammer and charged for the creature which changed his life in the blink of an eye. Spinning sharply, his hammer collided, and a fiery impact caused a burning gash in the creature's side.

It stumbled, but it continued to charge at Mario. Picking him up and smacking Peach aside, the goliath beast ran down the corridor which led back into the center of the tree, leaving Peach, too grieved to move, finding her life changed forever.

"What was that?!"

Frizzle perked her pointed ears. "Something cracking! The tree! Is cracking!"

Luigi spun around after examining a strange crystal from a distance. "Was it Mario!?"

His shoes pattering wildly, he ran down a limb-corridor and gazed out across the main chamber, and saw a strange beam of light beginning to seep through cracks in a limb in the distance.

"That limb over there- its breaking." Jacques said without much emotion, but then, his entire composition changed when he heard the next sound- Mario's voice- screaming his brother's name, then an apology.

There was a ground-shaking snap, and a scream belonging to a woman.

Luigi felt his heart jump to his throat. His jaw dropped. His skin was flushed from the color.

"...J... Jennie!?"

Moments later, the beast, the general, jumped down into the corridor, carrying a familiar red-and-blue clothed plumber.

"Mario!?"

There was no time to lose. Luigi, Jacques, and Frizzle leapt out of the room they had found themselves in, slid down the side of the tree painfully, and dashed after the general with sharp haste.

"L... let my brother go!" Luigi stood his ground, taking a hammer in his hands.

The general, who was heading in a hitherto unknown direction, sneered. "Another one?" He spoke. "You want to use my mountain!? Is this what this raid is about!? You're trying to destory us, aren't you!?"

The creature threw Mario to the ground. He groaned, rolling across the strange flooring. Luigi flinched as though he himself was hit.

"Stop it!" He screamed and ran for the general, hammer raised. "STOP IT!!"

The general, in his bulkiness, tried to grab Luigi, but he sidestepped and feinted, stunning the beast, then he slammed his hammer in the exact spot that Mario had earlier, except this time, there was a boom of thunder, and a screech from the beast. Whipping out its tail, it hit the ground around Luigi, managing to whip Mario in the side, and knock Luigi off balance.

He balanced himself quickly before the general's next attack. He dashed to the beast's other side, feuled by anger and the mystery as to what happened to his wife, and he managed to hit it flawlessly once again.

The general was surprised by the power that the skinny, green-clad man posessed, and he slunk away, not wanting to continue to fight in his condition. Luigi was not interested in persuing it.

He turned to his heavily injured brother.

"M... Mario..."

Mario opened one of his eyes, but the other was black, and remained shut. He spoke weakly, "L... Luigi... f...forgive me..." He placed a gloved hand on his chest, which was bleeding. "I... I failed... all of us... I have caused you... so much pain... and you don't even know..."

Tears began to stream down Luigi's face. "What's wrong!? You haven't done anything to hurt me..."

"Luigi!" Mario yelled, louder than he intended. "...It is my fault you have never had any parents... it is my fault your relationships have always gone astray!"

"Our... parents..."

"**I** killed her, Luigi... **I** killed our mother! Kamek was attacking... and... and I... tried to attack him... I was only a young child... I had dark magic... I shot fireballs at him and he deflected them at me... but... Mom... stepped in front of it... and was hit..." Breathing heavily, Mario continued, "Kamek captured you... and killed our father... but I killed our mother! I did!"

He gasped sharply through clenched teeth, then said, "You have never done anything to deserve what has just happened... Luigi... not only did I kill our mother... I... I..." The next words, Mario knew, would be the most painful thing he would ever tell Luigi, so he spoke as softly as he could through his physical and emotional pain.

"I... killed your wife..."


	15. Revenge in the Heart of Good

Author's Notes: AAAGH! I was sitting at my desk one day thinking, am I forgetting something? I then remembered, OH MY WORDYPOOP! I FORGOT ABOUT MY FANFICTIONS! So SO sorry about that guys! My life has been crazy and I just com-PLETELY forgot about !  
Anyway, here's Chapter 15...

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: REVENGE IN THE HEART OF GOOD

His words formed an arrow that pierced his heart.

At first, Luigi was struck in such a way that he stood up and backed away from Mario as if his own brother had turned into an ugly demon. Luigi's eyes were wild and full of such intense fear and utter shock.

Mario knew he had to tell his brother, and he knew it would be painful, but to truly feel the emotion spilling off his brother was the equivalent to being stabbed. He was physically and emotionally bleeding- an intense wound, even more intense then the one which literally covered his chest, was digging deeper into his body with every second that passed.

"No... Mario, tell me you're lying... just... tell me this is some cruel prank!" Luigi demanded, tears now flowing harder.

Mario was completely silent as he stared at Luigi with eyes full of pain yet sincerity.

As silence seperated the two, it was immediately replaced by uncontrollable weeping. Luigi fell to the ground, buring his face in his hands, sobbing harder then Mario had ever heard him- even harder then the times he was lamenting for Serphen and Aeolian's deaths.

Too preoccupied, Mario did not notice his own wife land softly next to him. She had gathered her bearings long enough for her to float gently down on her umbrella, and she stayed with him, having nothing to tend his injuries, and not having the composure to either.

The silence and the sobbing occurred for many more minutes before Luigi finally stood up, eyes red, shoulders shaking. His hammer was in his hand.

"I... I'm go..goi...going to k... kill... the general..." He stammered between breaths. He then said in a harder tone, "I... don't forgive you... Mario."

Mario shut his eyes. It was what he deserved.

He could only watch as his brother chased after the general's hiding place. Their original plan had been completely demolished- why did Jennie have to come with them? She was resourceful, but, it was not worth this. Nothing was worth this.

When the general goes down... I don't know what I would do from there... I can't continue this mission... I'd rather just die... I have nothing else to live for."

He did not think about his kingdom, his home, his country. He did not think about Reyva and the others who were on their way as he ran to his revenge. The only thing he cared about most in the world was gone. The possibility of continuing his legacy through his offspring was gone. His wife was gone. And above all, his heart was gone.

Removed- by the words of his brother.

He hated it. Picturing his brother, at the root of all his pain. But what else could it be? Mario not only revealed that he was responsible for the death of his mother, but now, the death of his wife? He found no one else to blame but his brother.

He slapped a hand to the jagged wall of the inner tree, gasping. Never before had he felt such pain. There was rage, sadness, anger, and a languidness building up in his heart all at once, feelings that he hated. Never before was he known for revenge. Revenge was something of evil. And yet, he wanted it. He wanted it so badly it ached, and it forced him forward and was burned into his mind.

_Kill the general._

_Kill the general._

The thoughts pushed him forward, nudging his back and pulling his feet forward.

_Kill the general._

_Kill the general._

"I'm going to kill him!" He cried and began running, readying his weapons at the same time. He tried to conjure his magic to aid him, but couldn't. He couldn't feel his lightning supporting him anymore. He did not care- he didn't need them to defeat the General.

It took him only a few minutes to stumble across the beast. It faced him with a malicious grin and spoke in a voice hard as iron, "having fun?"

Luigi cried out with rage and raised his hammer over his head.


	16. Hope

Author's Notes: Um... yeah. Sorry. Uhm... l... long story. Yeah. XD Okay, not really. I just feel like writing any. I've been in practically a 5 month long writers block and I just was, well, really really out of it. But, hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things. Oh, and I switched jobs too, so, I get paid more. Yay.

Oh, and I got Mario Kart Wii. Luigi on a motorcycle is HAWT. XD

So anyway, short chapter. But, its a good one. Trust me.

oh, and to Tortadellapizza, can you please fix that drawing link in your profile that I want to see so bad? PLEAASE?  
Thank you.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: HOPE

Peach was cradling Mario in her arms, rocking him back and forth gently as they both sobbed.

Mario was too injured to look for his brother, and Peach could not leave her husband's side. She understood the choice he had to make, and it was devastating to both of them.

"What happened!? What on earth happened!?"

Frizzle and Jacques had caught up to them, they had fallen behind earlier, and they were drawn to the commotion.

"Jennie is dead!" Mario wailed. "I... I killed her!!"

"You did? She seemed perfectly fine to me..." Jacques murmured, squinting.

"What do you mean!?" Mario demanded. "She's dead, she's dead, I killed her!"

"Just when? When that branch fell?" Frizzle's round eyes widened. "You... you don't mean..." There was actually some emotion in her voice as she spoke.

"I... it was an accident..." Mario wailed. "I... I couldn't chose... I couldn't... chose..."

"Shh... calm down..." Peach told him gently, stroking his hair as she cradled him in her arms. "None... none of us meant for it to happen... it was as he said... an accident."

"Accidents can kill people. But that doesn't mean this one did." It was a sudden, unexpected voice from nearby, and all eyes turned to the most remarkable sight they've seen.

"J... Jennie... Jennie!" Mario's eyes lit up. It was indeed her, standing in a hallway that led from the entrance to the tree. She was a bit scratched, but was indeed alive. Her deep brown hair was tangled with leaves.

Mario tried to stand, but found his body too bruised to move. "Jennie! You're alive! How?!"

She rushed over to them, and they could see her holding her ribbon in her hands.

"Your ribbon!" Peach cried joyfully, wiping her eyes.

"I could be dead right now." Jennie spoke, "but I was thinking just fast enough to rope my way around a sturdy branch and make my way back down here... I came as fast as I could..." She breathed. "I'm so sorry this happened, and I don't hold you responsible Mario..." she hesitated and glanced around, finding two of the tree people, Mario, and Peach- but no Luigi.

"Where's Luigi!?"

"He... he left for revenge against the captain..!" Mario's eyes suddenly widened as he realized the magnitude of what was at stake. "You're alive now... but he doesn't know! Luigi could kill himself, accidentally by fighting the caption... or purposefully! We have to hurry!"

"Mario, you're hurt badly. Let Frizzle and I take care of this." Jacques spoke, a new vigor in his eyes, even for Jacques, who, like his fellow Tree-Person, were very enigmatic and doleful people.

"You're not going anywhere without me," Jennie yelled, and she chased after Frizzle and Jaques who bound through the hallway and smoke, their furry bodies becoming a blur in the hazy room. Mario watched them vanish, and he prayed to the stars that they would be able to find Luigi in time.

. . .

A bloody hammer was nestled within his clenched fist, his body bruised and torn. And the hammer, he was holding parallel to his forehead as his knees met the ground near the dead Captain's side.

Just as he was about to strike himself with it, he felt a warm hand grasp his own and pull the hammer from his hands.

"Don't."

Luigi forced his eyes open, and what he saw stole his breath. An illusion? Was it his mind?

"J... Jennie...?"

Her eyes began to well with tears and a sincere smile tugged at her lips.

He fell into her arms, hugging her passionately. "Jennie!" He wailed, making no effort to fight back the tears that soaked her shoulder. "I... I'm so... sorry..." He wailed, his grip tightening around her.

"What are you sorry for?" She asked quietly, ignoring Frizzle and Jacques who were examining the Captain's corpse, as though they thought he couldn't be dead. He was.

"I... I... I was blinded by rage..." he murmured. "I... I'm a murderer, a cold-blooded murderer... I... I..."

"You shouldn't have killed out of revenge." She agreed gently. "That is not right. But one mistake does not make you a murderer forever... you can make things right..."

"That's not all..." he breathed, knowing that it was really her that he was hugging. "I... I blamed my own brother for this... for my pain... for all the suffering we've endured through the years... He told me... he killed our parents..."

"It couldn't have been on purpose... you should talk to him about it..." she spoke, surprised herself to hear this, but she did not have time to dwell on the revelation. "I'm here, Luigi... we're here... I'm fine. You should forgive Mario."

Luigi glanced up and looked around the room. "W... where is he...?"

"He's hurt."

"Oh... oh no..." It was all coming back to him. He struggled to stand, but through the battle with the Captain he had lost much of his strength.

"Let's finish what we started." Frizzle spoke, popping her fingers. "Jacques and I will take care of the rest. Then we have to get out of here and see if Merlon and Sherlwen are alright. I'm sure our task here is almost done, now that the Captain is out of our way. Come on, Jacques!"

The two scurried away, leaving Jennie and Luigi to their tearful joy.


	17. A Moment of Peace

A/N: Whaaat!? An UPDATE?

Yes, I am still heavily interested in this story! But here's the problem.

LIFE! Life is the problem!

But I'm back for a while. HOPEFULLY (no promises) I can finish this story before my next leave.

And for those of you who like Avatar, I'll be writing a small epic for that fandom soon too.  
- - -

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Three days had passed since the seige of the trees. Safely returned to the Tree-people's village, Luigi, Jennie, Mario, Frizzle, Jacques, Merlon and Sherlwen were resting near the campfire under the supervision of the eccentric Orange.

Celebration was in the air- there were chanting tree people surrounding the area, but they were instructed to leave the small band of companions to discuss important matters in peace with the village elder Orange.

"The dark ones have surrendered." Announced Orange, pacing around the fire. Bright flakes of ash leapt into the night air and danced like fireflies before landing into the ground where they were slowly killed.

"You all will be free to pass into the mountain." Orange began munching on his signiture fruit, his eyebrows narrowed with thought, his purple fur rustling slightly in a mild zephyr. "I suggest you leave as soon as you can. Your enemies will not rest until you all are destroyed."

Luigi sighed quietly, hugging his knees to his chest as his eyes were focused on the light. He knew he could have suffered a painful loss. He did not know if he could have handled it.

"Finally!" Sherlwen grumbled. "Those natives almost had me for dinner! Had the wizard not saved me I would've ended up on their offering plate!"

"Wait." Mario interrupted him. "Offering plate? An offering to what?"

"Well, I don't know! They seem like they have their spirits." Sherlwen said, then mumbled, "if I had arms... I could've gotten out of there..."

"Their spirits are false creatures who guard the mountain. I was going to tell you before you would leave, but, no problem telling you now." Orange shrugged. "There are two creatures who guard the mountain, Yen and Yin. They are both evil, more evil then Bowser, and much less confused. They know what they serve. The Dark Magic."

"Wait... you never told us this before! I thought the mountain was just... there! Unguarded!" Luigi said, his eyes widening.

"It is a very powerful place." Spoke Merlon, the firelight refusing to shine on his face which was concealed by his robe, as usual. "I knew of Yen and Yin. I chose not to tell you, for it is better to discover things for yourself then have someone show you. But I will warn you- they use the mountain's magic, and as it passes into their bodies they use it for ultimate evil. I wanted to train you and Mario on the mountain by having you defeat Yen and Yin. I wanted to demonstrate that the power of the Light is stronger then the most corrupted of evil. And Yen and Yin... they are the strongest beings I know next to Kamek."

"So tell us about this Kamek." Hummed Frizzle, playing with a caterpillar on the ground. "I've heard about him a little, but, we kind of live on this island, so, we don't hear much."

"He was my..." Merlon hesitated. "He was my student. My pupil. I was teaching him to let go of his evil power and embrace the light. But I feared there was nothing I could do."

Luigi and Mario's jaws dropped. They exchanged glances.

Merlon continued. "Kamek defeated me when I was weak with an illness and he left me to die. But I summoned the last of my strength and escaped. He abandoned me and forgot everything I tried to tell him. He embraced the darkness, adopted a Koopa son who showed promise in magic, and left."

"Bowser!" Mario blinked. "Kamek is Bowser's father! But... he doesn't use magic!"

"But he knows how to. He is much less gifted then Kamek thought. But his brute force was powerful. Kamek couldn't abandon him. But there were two people he feared. Two people he knew would be dangerous. You and Luigi."

The fire cracked. Ashes exploded in the air.

"Kamek wanted to capture both of you and train you to use evil magic before you learned to use good. He approached at your doorstep and captured Luigi. But Mario escaped. That was when the Yoshis found him, and rescued him. The Yoshis knew who he wanted- you and your brother had an inseperable bond. There, the Yoshis confronted Kamek and Bowser and rescued Luigi, but did not destroy them. Since then, Mario and Luigi grew up alone, sometimes with the Yoshis aid, but they were parentless and lost. But their trials strengthened them and their bond."

"I never knew that about them." Even through the information was staggering to Frizzle, she remained nonchalant. "So. What happened to their parents?"

"I do not know." Merlon said, looking down. He then noticed Mario, his eyes closed, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

"You must be really old." Jacques changed the subject. "Merlon... you trained Kamek? And I know he is at least sixty years old."

"I am the oldest being in the Mushroom Kingdom."

"That means..." Peach spoke, "you're..."

"Two hundred and seventy four." Merlon said.

"How on... what?!" Jennie gasped. "That's impossible! Any human is lucky to live past one hundred!"

"I am no ordinary human." He said quietly. "I am one of the first magic users. The Light gives me such power. It knows when my time is. And it has allowed me to live this long so I could carry out the purpose of my life. Training the Mario Brothers is my purpose. Until I fulfill that purpose, I will remain in this world."

"Oh, wow... That sounds... impressive." Luigi said, the talk was very revealing to him, and answered many questions he had about Merlon. "But... when you're done teaching us what you know... does that mean... you'll die?"

"I've lived long enough." He said with a slight chuckle. "I ask you to not miss me when I go. The Light Magic is powerful. I will live in it."

"But what about those with Dark Magic? Where do they go when they die?"

"The Dark Magic is a tormenting thing. Those who die as they wield it will live in the dark shadows and be tortured until the Dark Magic is destroyed forever."

"You can destroy dark magic!?"

"Well, not anyone here. Dark Magic is destined to end some day. But I feel that day is not yet come. We must focus on what we must do in our time. And the next thing we need to do to strike down Kamek and Bowser and whoever else they have summoned for their plan, is to go to the mountain."

"And when do we leave?" Jacques asked, sounding as though he was determined.

"We?" Jennie wandered. "You're coming?"

"Of course they're going!" Orange spoke. "You need their talents and their knowledge of this area. I won't let you turn them down."

"Great. Two fuzzy forest people following us around. Sounds excellent." Sherlwen mumbled.

"Hey, what do you have against us, no-arms!?" Frizzle growled. "We've saved your butt a LOT more then you've saved ours! We're the ones who got you off that stake!"

"It's great to have you aboard!" Peach said optimistically. "You will be a big help when we go to the mountain... when is that exactly, Merlon?"

"Tomorrow morning. We leave tomorrow morning."


	18. Confronting Yen and Yin

A/N: Wow, an update! I'm so sorry for all the delays, I'm just SO BUSY! Writing takes up a lot of time, especially since Im writing other stories and articles at the same time. I'll try to squeeze in LD more often though.

A refresher for those who are lost. Mario and Luigi just conquered the Dark Tree People and cleared the way to the magical mountain. The Dark Tree People worship evil beasts called Yen and Yin, who are powerful evil dark magic users.

Meanwhile Kamek and Bowser are training a group of evil Dragons to use Dark Magic and he revealed to them the Magic Class of Deceit, the secret weapon of the Dark Magic users. Deceit attempts to lower the morale of Light users and leave them open to attack.

Now, Mario and Luigi must defeat Yen and Yin so they can train on the magical mountain and become powerful enough to stop Kamek and his group of Dragon trainees. Remember, the evil Dragons want to establish their dominion in the Mushroom Kingdom by using Alteration to control the very sky and make it always nighttime, always moonlight, so they will always have strength.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: CONFRONTING YIN AND YEN

The sky was gray and overcast, lit dimly by a hidden sun. Luigi and his friends were up early. After a few preparations, they bid Orange and his kin farewell and journeyed into the deep woods. Frizzle and Jacques, who knew the road better, ran ahead of everyone else seeking a good route to the mountain.

"So... Merlon." Luigi said as he dodged the occasional thorn bush, "Where are those two monsters anyway? Yin and Yen?"

"They are on the top of the mountain, waiting to kill anyone they believe is unworthy."

"Mario and I have beaten some pretty big things before," Luigi said. "Like the Mayhems. Remember the mayhems, Mario?"

"Yeah..." Luigi's brother sounded much less energetic then he usually did. Something was bothering him, Luigi could tell.

"Is something wrong?"

"Yes." Mario replied honestly, "but its okay, Luigi. I'm just... remembering things... about what happened all those years ago..."

There was silence. The rest of the group was continuing without paying attention to Mario. Luigi fell into step with his brother. "Want to talk about it?"

"Do I _want_ to? No." Mario replied swiftly, "But do I _need_ to... yes." He looked over at his brother and stopped walking for a moment. "Luigi, I... I feel so guilty. I'm responsible for our parent's death... and its been bothering me more then usual for the past few days... I guess when I thought I... you know... I just kind of snapped..."

Mario knew that bringing up what happened a few days before would only upset them more, but Luigi knew what he was talking about even if he did not say it in words. Luigi just sighed, continued walking, and said, "I think they would forgive you, Mario, if we could talk to them now. I'm sure they understood why you were in such fear and anger. Besides... it was an accident, wasn't it, Mario?"

"Yes... it was an accident but... what killed them was the dark magic from my own hands..." Mario sighed.

"We're their sons, Mario... I'm sure they would forgive us, no matter what we would do. We-"

Luigi's voice was cut off by a sudden shout from Frizzle. "Look! The road to the mountain!"

After pushing his way through a large fern, the pathway to the mountain came into view. It was a beaten road leading up a steep, rocky slope. It spiraled around the gigantic landmark and led to its top. The peak of the mountain seemed to be radiating with energy. Luigi couldn't see Yen or Yin.

"Merlon, how big are the enemies guarding the mountain?"

"I... do not know. I have never seen them."

"Are you sure we can beat them?"

"If you trust in the Light and put all your faith in it, you will win."

"What about the rest of us?" Peach asked, nervous for her husband. "I want to help, but... I'm not a warrior."

"Yen and Yin are only interested in those capable of using magic. Non-magic users cannot possibly upset them." Explained Merlon. "You can come and watch. They will not harm you."

"So... all we can do is... watch?" Jennie said slowly. "That doesn't sound helpful the slightest."

"You will not attack them." Merlon said sternly. "They won't attack you if you watch. But if you even _think_ about attacking them... you will be destroyed."

Jennie nodded. "But... Merlon... what if Mario and Luigi can't...?"

"They can. They will." Merlon said, straightening his back and pointing. "Look. The road to the top of the mountain is just ahead. Let us go."

The road was steep and rocky, sometimes Luigi had to climb on all fours over obstacles in his path. Sherlwen in particular was having trouble.

"I don't think its worth it anymore, the thrill of expedition," the goomba moaned, "And for what? To witness an epic battle on a mountain? Bah! Eh, uh, a little help over here?" He was having a most difficult time maneuvering over a boulder."

"Ugh," Frizzle said and lifted up the goomba. "I'll carry you the whole way, how's that?"

"Yes! Splendid! Carry on, then!" Sherlwen chuckled.

Frizzle moaned and continued walking.

After a few hours of tiresome climbing, Luigi finally collapsed onto flat ground on the top of the mountain, breathing hard. He had momentarily forgotten about Yen and Yin, who were most likely waiting for them.

When everyone had climbed onto the top of the mountain, Merlon stepped up and lifted his head. He cried, "Creatures of Darkness, show yourselves! My students shall confront you and defeat you here! The power of the Light will prevail over you and cleanse your presence from this mountain!"

Merlon's speech was so intimidating that Luigi was shaken to his feet. Dazed, he looked up, and saw a swirl of magic begin to deveolp near the center of the mountain. Colorful, spirling energy swept through the air and stones were blasted aside by the power. Luigi sheilded his eyes from the dust and squinted. Soon, he could see something taking form in the center of the spiral.

There were not two forms, but one. But, the silloutetted form had four arms, four legs, and two heads.

"Mario and Luigi, step forth!" Two voices boomed from a single source. "And prepare yourselves!"


	19. Superiority

A/N: Wow an update... ALREADY!? I must be on a roll or something. Anyway this will be rich with description, for those itching for some heavily described combat scenes.

Oh yeah. And the story I'm planning will be 40 chapters, not 30, so there's still a long way to go.

CHAPTER NINETEEN: SUPERIORITY

As the swirls of energy began to sink away into the air, and the dust began to settle, the small band of companions was left staring at an impossible being.

It was as though it was two beasts fused together, yet it was one and whole. Its movements were in perfect harmony while being utter chaos. It breathed quickly and furiously. Energy burned from its four eyes and with every exhale, green smoke shot from its maw.

"It is time your kind learned who is superior." The two voices spoke as one, "It is time for you to realize the limitations of Light Magic."

"Light Magic has no limits!" Mario roared, grabbing his hammer from his belt. "It is you who are wrong!"

Mario and Luigi were preparing themselves. They knew it would begin soon, and they tried their hardest to contain their terror. "Now, Peach, you and the others stay out of this at all costs." Mario warned them one last time. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Alright..." Replied the queen nervously, and she sat down on a nearby stone, gritting her teeth in anticipation. She was horrified.

"Now then. I will tell you one last thing, Mario and Luigi. The Dark Magic has one thing that we should be concerned about. Their secret weapon is-"

Yen and Yin roared. It was a deafening sound that pierced through the sky. And after the thunderous noise, it charged towards the two brothers.

Mario and Luigi parted, their weapons in their hands, and they turned and faced the beast at both angles.

"Mario! I think we have to hit both of them at the same time!" Luigi cried. He took a breath and allowed the power of the mountain to invigorate him. Never before had he felt such power in his hands. He grasped the hammer tightly as sizzling lighting spiderwebbed around the metal.

Mario's own hammer was glowing a different color, a deep red flame burned around his weapon, without burning the wooden hilt. It remained at the metal, superheated and radiating. Mario's hands were shaking, the power was almost too much even for him to bear.

"Now!"

They charged for the beast. Lifting their weapons, their timing exact, they slammed into their foe from both sides full force. Colorful energies blasted in all directions, sizzling flame and crackling lightning resounded in the ears of the onlookers.

Yin and Yen roared. They spun, twisting their energy and turning, and they dispatched the Mario Brothers to the ground.

They only had a few moments to observe the damage they did. There were two pulsing marks on the creature's flesh where the hammers had struck them on the sides of their heads. Yen and Yin roared again and raised their great hands. A ball of dark energy formed in both of their hands and they shot the projectiles. They then jumped in the air and slammed into the earth, causing an earthquake to disable the brothers from evading.

Thrown off their feet and blasted with the dark projectile, both Mario and Luigi met a jarring collision with the earth and tumbled across the stones. Groaning, Mario slowly rose to his feet as the beast began charging again.

"He's too fast..." Mario said under his breath, and forced himself to leap to his feet. He quickly glanced at his brother, who was rising. He shook his head, disoriented, and then looked up.

"Your power is no match for darkness!" Cried the beast. "We will overcome you!"

And it leapt again, and with the power of Alteration, it caused spikes to spring up from the earth around Mario and Luigi. They ran, trying to avoid the spikes which could skewer them. They neared each other, took their gloved hands, and shared their magical energies. Fire and lightning coursed through their veins and they charged for the beast, being chased by earth spikes the whole way.

For a moment they cast aside their weapons and raised their unarmed hands to the sky. Light blazed down from the clouds and they lowered their hands towards the beast. Their arms shaking, almost too weak to control the energy, they blasted the projectiles towards the beast.

Yen and Yin staggered. They roared. They beat their chest and said, "Your power is great! But Darkness is greater!"

And the light energy which the brothers had created began to be consumed by the evil creature. What was light turned to blackness, and the sky changed colors around the mountain. Summoning all the strength it had, the beast formed a gaping wound in the mountain where dark energy traveled upwards and shot evil energy in all directions.

The wound began to grow, inching closer and closer to the startled brothers. Yen and Yin was unleashing all the energy they could, roaring, working to contain the energy. And it was overwhelming.

Luigi found himself staring at a deep pit, watching as all the light energy he conjured slowly consumed by the black tide. And he felt it drain him- attack him- seep him of everything he stood for.

"I... am not strong enough..." He whispered, staring idly at the hole.

"Luigi! What are you doing!?" Mario grabbed him and dragged him away from the black hole which was yawning open wider and wider.

"I can't... we're... just..." Luigi stammered idly, not moving. Mario dragged his brother backwards frantically. The power was so staggering that the mountain was beginning to shake.

"No!" Mario heard Merlon shout. "Your powers of deciet are evil and unjust!" He began to step into the battle. "Mario! Luigi! He is the master of the Dark Magic school of deciet! He's trying to drain you of your faith!"

Mario and Luigi looked up at the beast.

"The Light is stronger then darkness! You are allowing the darkness to destroy your faith! You cowards! Stand and fight! STAND AND FIGHT!"

"We are cowards." Mario breathed. "Luigi, stand up!"

"Learn the Light Magic of Restoration!" Merlon roared. "Restore it! Restore the evil pit that is opening before you! Close it before it consumes you!"

"Restoration..." Luigi swallowed.

"We can do this, Luigi... stand up!" Mario roared, and forced his brother to his feet. Mario took a stance and concentrated. Slowly but surely, light energy was gathering with him once more.

"With me Luigi! There's two of them, I can't do this alone!"

Luigi slowly took at his brother's side. As he watched the light energy his brother was beginning to gather, Luigi suddenly realized that he had been tricked. He had allowed the evil power to discourage him. He was a light master. He would not fall to this trickery!

The light energies began to gather in his hands once more, and soon, his entire body was filling with it. The encouraging, strengthening, healing light energy began to ward away the destroying, decaying darkness around him. He and his brother began to walk towards the void of blackness that Yen and Yin were creating, and the blackness began to cower. It began to leave, it began to disappear.

"No!" The monsters screamed, their power obviously draining and weakening.

"Light is superior!" Mario roared. "And you are the coward here! Hiding behind your decietful tricks, trying to force us to give up instead of _fighting_ for it!" He looked at the creatures square in the eyes as he approached them. "You have nothing to fight for! But we have something to fight for! Our wives! Our future children! Our people! Our kingdom! Our planet! And you, you are just a leech on our world!"

Yen and Yin were screaming now.

"Begone!"

And Mario's words shook the beast, and it suddenly vanished.

The dark energies on the mountain were gone.

And the brothers were standing triumphantly on the clensed mountain. Tiny lights fell to the mountain like snowflakes. After many moments of silence, there was cheering and clapping.

"You DID IT! You defeated them! You killed Yin and Yen!"


	20. Magic Essense

A/N: AIEEEE!! Why is life so... busy? Okay, okay, okay. Here we goes with another chapter. Sorry about the wait.  
I'm in a lot of physical pain right now, but I'll try to keep the story going. I have multiple issues with my body and I can hopefully get them sorted out soon. Mostly, I have chronic back pain and its been really killing me lately. But I'll try and get something down.  
By the way... has anyone played the old classic "Donkey Kong 64"? I was playing old video games the other day while I was takin' a break and WHOA!! I forgot how much I loved that game! I think Lanky Kong is cute. He has the best voice ever (Next to Luigi of course!)! Especially when he does a long jump! "WOOHOO!!"

Anyway this chapter has MAJOR ORIGINAL IDEAS so PLEASE do not take them as your own! The IDEAS of this story are MINE, the characters are not however, of course, this is a fanfic!

CHAPTER TWENTY: MAGIC ESSENSE

"So... there's many other ways to use magic then we already know?" Luigi asked as he sat next to Mario near Merlon.

It had been a few minutes after the defeat of the two beasts. Mario and Luigi were resting now with their companions, having their wounds treated, and listening to what Merlon had to say about magic.

"Yes. There is so much more." Replied the wise, cloaked man, "You see, Magic is controlled by using the five senses. However, are you aware that there is actually a sixth and seventh sense?"

Mario and Luigi exchanged glances.

"Very few magicians realize this, even fewer know how to teach it. But now that we are on the mountain, I would like to present to you the powers of the sixth and seventh sense." Merlon continued. "They are, Detection, and Isolation. They are neutral, just like the other senses, but the Light Magic utelizes these senses in different ways."

Merlon stood up and continued. "Do you remember Opus? He mastered the art of the Isolation sense. Can you tell me what you think it is?"

Mario hummed, rubbing his chin, then said, "he was sealing himself from the rest of the world..." Mario snapped. "He became invisible!"

"Exactly. Isolation is the sense of sealing. Dark Magic uses Isolation to block themselves from the rest of the world in an antagonistic way. It can only be activated when the user seeks to kill, spy, or steal. They must completely block their mind from the world and, in the process, they disappear."

"How does Light Magic use Isolation?" Asked Luigi as he winced when Jennie tightened a bandage around his arm.

"Light Magic can isolate themselves when they seek to save a life, but when they must do it undetected. This is often called the Guardian Angel sense because those who master it are believed to be Guardian Angels."

Luigi and Mario were silent for a moment. "Remember Serphen?" Luigi spoke, his voice dull. "Serphen said that he was my guardian. But I never saw him disappear."

"Perhaps he never had time to perfect Isolation. But may be he was meant to be a Guardian Angel in a different way." Merlon said, his eyes far away. "But I know of your story, Luigi. Serphen's sacrifice allowed Aeolian to save the dragons. It was not in vain."

"But Reyva... she said she was my guardian," Said Mario. "Perhaps she is a Guardian Angel?"

"Perhaps... but I am not sure. This kind of magic is extremely difficult to master. But this mountain's energies should make things easier for us."

Merlon bent and scooped up some of the strange dust that had covered the mountain after Yin and Yen's defeat. He spoke, "The magic here is so bountiful the air is saturated with it."

He walked to Mario and Luigi and poured some of the dust in their hands.

"This is... magic?" Luigi asked, playing with the dust in his hands.

"Yes. It is so saturated on this mountain that it has become visible to the naked eye. When you inhale, you are always breathing it, no matter where you are. It is distributed through your body this way. But there is much about magic that just cannot be explained by science. It is of another realm, another dimension beyond what we can explain."

Merlon then said, "I have told you of Isolation. But what is even harder for magicians to learn, is the sense of detection. For a Light User, Detection allows the user to become so in tune with the rest of the world that he is able to discern the very difference between good and evil. He becomes so wise that he is able to know what he is to do in the time that is given to him. Using the sense of Detection in this way is known as the Magic of Discernment.

"However," he continued, "Dark Magic uses Detection to discover flaws in their opponent's structure. They use it to kill and destroy. This is the most deadly of their abilities. Luckily... I know no one who has mastered this skill, the skill of Decimation."

Mario and Luigi sighed, unsure if they would be able to learn these difficult skills, even on the powerful mountain. But, they were both adamant people, and they would try to learn, even if they would fail.

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"I have one question." Mario said. "What kind of sense allows dragons to communicate to people with their minds? Reyva has done it to me, and Aeolian and Kinimanji has done it to Luigi... They said that they could only communicate to people they are related to, but with proper practice, Kinimanji said he could communicate outside of his family."

Merlon blinked. "Well, I admit... I'm not sure. It may be a sense only dragons have. And I am not a dragon." He faced them and said, "Regardless, we will need to learn at least the sense of Isolation today."

Leaning on his staff, Merlon raised a sleeved arm and pointed to the center of the mountain, where the magic dust had gathered in thick quantities. "There, we will practice." He said in his gruff voice. "You both are so young, and yet, you are the most gifted students I have ever seen. I believe you can accomplish what only a few people have accomplish. However..." Merlon's voice suddenly went dull, and he added solemnly, "I do not expect you to learn this as quickly as any of us would hope. This is a skill that only comes with patience and silence."

Luigi was not a very self confident person, especially when someone tells him something like this. He was immediately discouraged.

"Aren't... aren't Mario and I fine without learning these tecniques? I mean... Merlon... look at us."

Merlon quickly pointed at him and shouted, "You lack faith, and this is an utter weakness. Neither of you are strong enough to challenge the might of Kamek if he has the dragons on his side! Dragons are much different then we are. They have the potential to command many different traits, traits I have not yet fully studied nor can comprehend. You are a weak, cowardice of a man!"

Luigi had gritted his teeth and lowered his head at the insulting truth, and closed his eyes.

"Now." Merlon's voice had gone softer, "I want both of you to be patient with yourself, and have faith in light magic. Only by faith can you control it to its fullest potential. Rise, and come with me to the center."

Merlon had already begun to walk, and Luigi and Mario rose from sitting. Mario turned to look at his brother, gave him a half-smile, half-grimace, and turned to follow Merlon's flowing robes.

Luigi felt Jennie's soft hand on his shoulder. He exhaled a nervous sigh and smiled through his tension.

"You _can_ do it." He heard her whisper. "Luigi, Merlon knows what he is doing. Trust him."

Luigi nodded. Her words, soft and compassionate, wrapped around him like a blanket.

"Thank you."

He reluctantly left her arm and continued to the center of the mountain. He knew the others would be watching. It made him nervous. He tried to relax his shoulders and take a deep breath, but his efforts were exhausting him.

"Isolation is the sense of becoming detached." Merlon began. "However, this sense can only be felt when the rest of your senses are inactive. For example. A man who goes blind begins to focus the energy he used to see, to the energies of his ears. But what if this man was blind and deaf? That energy would then be transferred to his sense of smell. But, if he was blind, deaf, and could not smell, he would then try to live by the sense of taste, and he becomes able to perceive any kind of herb, any kind of plant around him and create medicines beyond the skills of normal man. If he even lost this sense, he would be able to reach out and feel things beyond what feeling would permit. But, if he lost all five senses... he would no longer _be_."

Merlon continued, his voice in despair, "A man who focuses his energy into Dark Magic becomes a maddened, twisted beast of smoke and shadow, if all of his senses are disabled, intentionally or by birth defect. Opus has experienced this. Do you remember?"

Mario nodded and hummed aloud. He recalled fighting Opus when Aeolian had been kidnapped. He then remembered that Opus also had the ability to steal other's minds and control them. Mario then asked, "What happened that allowed Opus to control Aeolian, and then Ironclaw?"

Merlon sighed. "I... do not know. Dragonkind is very different from us. Perhaps, when your Dragon friends return here to aid us, Opus will tell you more. But I cannot."

Merlon then continued, "You all can learn to disable all of your major senses, and in the process, you will no longer be present. You will be able to become nothing, and yet, still existing. We, of Light Magic, do not become smoke and shadow. Our power is used to bring health and life to others. Therefore, instead of becoming shadow, we merge into the light of our surroundings."

As Merlon spoke, his voice became quieter, and Mario saw him shut his eyes. The man became completely silent. He was not even breathing. And, in a few moments, he vanished without a trace. And, no sooner did he disappear, did he return, magic energies swirling about the mountainside.

"We are allowed to use this power when we seek to do good. To aid others, to help them, to guide them through their lives. I am not new at being a Guardian Angel," there was a twinkle in his eye, "it was I who saved Mario's life and led the Yoshi's to Luigi when he was a baby."

Mario's eyes widened. "W... what!?"

"Yes. When Mario was a baby, he was lost in the woods after he ran from home. I secretly led him to a Yoshi camp, where they found him. The yoshi's would have never found Luigi and reunited Mario with him had I not been there to lead the way."

"I... I did not know this!" Mario placed a hand to his forehead. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Becuase I was waiting for the proper time and place. Patience, both of you, and you will learn your place as well."

There was a moment of silence. Birds and other critters sang in the distance. A lazy cloud floated overhead. There was not a trace of evil anywhere.

"Now," Merlon continued, "I want you to show me what you can do. Shut off all of your senses, and thus, activate the sense of Isolation."


	21. Incoming: NOT DONE YET

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A/n:

"Meh... that was kinda lame..."Zefri

I am so sorry, faithful readers. As of late, this sequel does not even come close to the quality of Luigi's Dragons 1. I'm busy, I'm hurting, and I have a lot of work to do outside of FF that keeping up with this story at least with quality entries is really a hassle.

From now on I will try my hardest to present to you better entries. I'll even go back and fix up some previous entries too, when I have time.

NOTE: I added content to the previous chapter.

UNIMPORTANT ADDENDUM: you know what? I had forgotten how much I love the Star Wars universe. Does LD seem like I'm pulling from Star Wars at all? I try not to imitate other works, but, I'm afraid that after seeing the 2nd and 3rd movies again... I think I'm accidentally pulling from Star Wars in some way or another. What do you think?  
Regardless, I like coughObiwancough uh, _Star Wars, _a lot. I might attempt to write a one shot of Star Wars, but, uh, that might not happen. This story is definitely top priority right now.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO: INCOMING

They had been on the mountain for three hours, with no progress to speak of.

Neither Mario and Luigi could successfully comprehend what Merlon was trying to show them. Every once and a while, just when Luigi thought he had it, he would smell the scent of a flower, or feel the wind tingling his skin, and his senses returned to him as quickly as he lost them.

Their companions had never been so bored. Peach and Jennie were trying to create some sort of time-killer with stones and magic dust, but they couldn't successfully device a sort of game that could keep them occupied. Frizzle and Jacques had fallen asleep, bored to tears by Sherlwen's exaggerated stories about his awesomeness and spectacular fake discoveries.

"We can't do this..." Luigi finally said, stopping. "Its too hard. I ... don't understand."

"Then you do not have enough faith." Merlon replied, distressed.

"Neither of us are strong enough to do this!" Luigi widened his arms in frustration. "Right, Mario?" And as he turned to acknowledge his brother, he found... no one at his side.

"Mario?"

Luigi looked around, only to be surprised when Mario reappeared next to him, laughing so hard his eyes were twinkling under the sunlight. He patted Luigi on the back, and let out an exclamation of joy.

"Whoo! I finally did it!"

"Yeah! FINALLY!" Peach exclaimed from nearby, clapping. "Well done, Mario! Great job!"

Mario turned with a broad grin to see that his grin was mirrored on Merlon's dark face. Merlon nodded, and then faced Luigi, his grin vanishing.

Luigi smiled for a moment, but his joy vanished and he looked down. "I'm sorry. I can't do it."

Mario's joy also left him, and he said, "You just... don't have enough faith, Luigi..."

"You're right. I think I should just try this another time."

"Luigi, there is war coming. There may not be another opportunity for you to return here." Merlon said.

"You're right. And I can accept that."

Luigi turned and began to walk towards Jennie, his eyes dull. Jennie frowned, not knowing what to say. There was nothing she could say. He had given up, at least for the moment.

"Am I to learn the sense of Detection?" Mario asked, glancing at Merlon.

"Not yet." He said, narrowing his eyes. For a while, he was silent, then, he blinked and looked up. He said, "Mario, you mentioned Reyva could contact you with her mind?"

"Yes, sir."

"Tell her to come and meet us on the mountain. If it takes them a few days, it will leave us more time to train, and hope that your brother finds faith in himself, and in the light."

A/N: I'll add more later. Most of my time was spent retouching chapter 20. Anyway I hope you can tell I'm putting effort into it again.


	22. Incoming Continued

AN: Its short but its something. I'll get back into the swing of regular updates- rest assured. Sorry about how long it took! Life is slowing down... reletavely.

Three days had passed when Reyva finally arrived at the summit, with a few old friends. Zin, Malidor, Opus, and Symphony had touched down on top of the summit, along with two new faces. There was a brown dragon and a green dragon, both complimenting each other in earth tones.

"Reyva!" Mario dashed over to her and hugged her without warning. It had been so long since he had seen her. She hugged him back.

He stepped back, and he looked over her. "You're darker!" He said. "I mean- darker since I last saw you."

"As a dragon grows in wisdom so she darkens." Reyva replied with a toothy grin. "Mario... its so good to see you."

Luigi, Peach and Jennie had joined Mario soon, with Merlon watching from nearby. Clouds of white puffs were strewn about the blue above, and the wildflowers below the summit dotted the land with lollipop colors.

"Reyva..." Luigi said with a slight grin. There was almost a hint of envy in his voice- because Reyva was Mario's guardian. His guardian had perished.

"It is good to see you all again." Reyva said, "But enough idle chat. I'll get right to the point. Before we came here, Camou and Flage here did some scouting at Bowser's castle... apparently he's planning on teaching renegade dragons some incredibly powerful dark magic. We are aware of their plans- they're trying to rebuild the Moon Clan by taking control of this world's moon and turning it into an emitter of dark energies."

There was silence for a moment. Then, Mario said, "Luigi and I have saved this land from all kinds of evil, you name it. Why should this time be any different?"

"Save your optimism for lesser foes." Malidor said quietly. "Mario, this is magic we're dealing with. If you don't have strength enough, all hope will be lost."

"Silence!" Merlon broke in as he thrust his hand to the sky. "Do not assault us with pessimism." His fingers relaxed and his hand lowered. "We must live by faith in the powers of Light Magic, and to break that faith will be disasterous. One of us has so little faith he will not stand on his own."

Luigi slumped.

"Words of encouragement are most needed." Continued Merlon softly, his hands out and palms upturned. "But we must be careful not to offer each other false hope. Dark Magic is dangerous and powerful. But the Light is much stronger."

"False hope." Echoed Malidor as he stared at the sky, his arms crossed. "All hope is false hope."

"Oh, shut up!" Zen said playfully with a mock growl. "You're really cute and all, but sometimes its funny just how wrong you are."

"Sometimes I wonder why you were even brought along," Sighed the green dragon, Camou. "So, what do you suggest we do, Merlon?"

"The only thing we can do. Mario and Luigi must learn all the magical talents I can teach them, and then they must stop Bowser before they claim this world's moon."

"That's easier said then done..." Luigi murmured, slouching as he stood. "Who knows how quickly they are learning? And I'm just... I'm not cut out for this kind of stuff... I..."

"Luigi." Mario placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "We can do anything- you know it. Just recall all our adventures... all the enemies we've defeated... We've mastered so many new things, and always used our old talents. Why should this be any different?"

He was silent.

"Are we staying on this summit?" Peach piped in. "Or are we going to go somewhere else?"

"The summit offers increased magical connections, which is an advantage. But it wil be best for Mario and Luigi to train without its guidence once they get used to it... its like training wheels on a bicycle. Once you know how to balance, going without it proves to be a much more powerful method."

"So... that means we're leaving soon?" Luigi didn't like the idea of leaving it. He felt safe and protected, as well as stronger, on the mountain.

"Yes... but you all will be leaving without me. We will stay until I can explain all I can..." Merlon said, hanging his head slightly. "I feel my time is near..."

"You mean-" Peach swallowed.

"Yes. But do not mourn. I have lived too long in this fallen world... I am eager to join my ancestors." Replied the wizard.

"So our plan is... leave the mountain, learn more magic, then defeat Bowser?" Asked Zin. "Sounds good to me."

Twiddling her fingers, the brown dragon, Flage, said, "So we have to stick around this whole time?"

"Yes," Reyva groaned. "You're such a loner. Why don't you stay where you're needed for a change?"

Flage just grumbled.

"And what about you two?" Jennie turned to the two tree-people, Frizzle and Jacques, who had been lying low for the past two days.

"We'll have to stay here. We've helped you all we can, but we can't leave the island. We're attached to our trees."

"You've helped us a lot this far. I don't see the point in asking you for anything else." Mario said, "Thanks for all you've done."

"No problem." Jacques replied. "And Luigi?"

Luigi glanced over at Jacques with mournful eyes.

"Learn to live by faith and you will never fail."


End file.
